Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débrousser

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The English translation of the French verb “débrousser” is “to clear” or “to clear away.” The infinitive form “débrousser” is pronounced as [day-broo-seh].

The word “débrousser” has its origins in the Latin word “disbrustum,” which means “to remove the brushwood.” In everyday French, the verb is commonly used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe actions that occurred and were completed in the past.

Examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je débroussai le jardin hier.
    (I cleared the garden yesterday.)

  2. Ils débroussèrent le sentier pour faciliter la marche.
    (They cleared the path to make walking easier.)

  3. Elle débroussa la zone boisée pour construire sa maison.
    (She cleared the wooded area to build her house.)

In these examples, “débrousser” is conjugated in the Passé Simple tense to match the subject of the sentence, indicating past actions that were completed.

Table of the Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of débrousser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je débroussai Je débroussai le jardin. I cleared the garden.
Tu débroussas Tu débroussas la forêt. You cleared the forest.
Il débroussa Il débroussa le chemin. He cleared the path.
Elle débroussa Elle débroussa les broussailles. She cleared the bushes.
On débroussa On débroussa le terrain. One cleared the land.
Nous débroussâmes Nous débroussâmes la zone. We cleared the area.
Vous débroussâtes Vous débroussâtes le champ. You cleared the field.
Ils débroussèrent Ils débroussèrent la clairière. They cleared the clearing.
Elles débroussèrent Elles débroussèrent la végétation. They (feminine) cleared the vegetation.

Other Conjugations for Débrousser.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser (You’re reading it right now!)

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débrousser

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Débrousser – About the French Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense

The French Passé Simple, also known as the Simple Past or Preterite, is a past tense used in written French to describe completed actions that took place at a specific point in the past.
It is not commonly used in everyday spoken language, where the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense. The Passé Simple is mainly found in literature, formal writing, and historical contexts. It has a somewhat limited use in modern French, and its conjugation can be complex.  
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

The Passé Simple is formed by conjugating the verb according to its specific endings for regular and irregular verbs. The endings typically vary based on the verb group (i.e., -er, -ir, or -re). For example:
   – For regular -er verbs (e.g., manger, parler): Remove the -er ending and add appropriate endings, like -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent.
   – For regular -ir verbs (e.g., finir, choisir): Remove the -ir ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.
   – For regular -re verbs (e.g., vendre, attendre): Remove the -re ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.

Usage

Narration

The Passé Simple is commonly used in literature to describe past events in a narrative or storytelling context.

Historical Context

It can be used in historical writing or documents to discuss events that took place in the past.
Formal Writing
In formal or academic writing, especially in essays or reports, you might encounter the Passé Simple.

Interactions with other tenses

Passé Composé

In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the go-to tense for describing completed actions in the past. The Passé Simple is not commonly used in spoken language and is often replaced by the Passé Composé.

Imparfait

While the Passé Simple focuses on completed actions in the past, the Imparfait is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. They can sometimes be used together to provide a more detailed past narrative. For example, “Il lisait un livre quand il reçut un appel.” (He was reading a book when he received a call).

Conditional and Subjunctive

The Passé Simple can also be found in the conditional and subjunctive moods in formal writing. For instance, “Il faudrait qu’il partît” (He should leave, subjunctive).

Summary

The French Passé Simple is primarily used in formal or literary contexts, and its conjugation can be quite complex. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense for describing completed actions.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb débrousser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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