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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décaler

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of décaler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “décaler” is “to shift” or “to move.” The infinitive form “décaler” is pronounced as “day-kah-lay.”

The verb “décaler” comes from the French word “cale,” which means “wedge” or “shim.” It originated from the Old French word “cale” and the Latin word “calx,” meaning “limestone” or “heel.” In everyday French, “décaler” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to describe past actions or events that occurred and ended in the past. It is less frequently used in spoken French and is more commonly found in written, formal, or narrative contexts.

Here are three simple examples of “décaler” in the Passé Simple tense along with their English translations:

  1. Je décalai mon rendez-vous pour demain. (I shifted/moved my appointment to tomorrow.)
  2. Il décala la réunion d’une heure. (He moved the meeting one hour later.)
  3. Elle décala les meubles de la pièce. (She shifted/moved the furniture in the room.)

Please note that while the Passé Simple tense is still used in literature and formal writing, it is less common in spoken French, where the Passé Composé or other compound tenses are preferred.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je décalai J’ai décalé la réunion. I rescheduled the meeting.
Tu décalas Tu as décalé ton rendez-vous. You rescheduled your appointment.
Il décala Il a décalé son vol. He rescheduled his flight.
Elle décala Elle a décalé sa séance de yoga. She rescheduled her yoga class.
On décala On a décalé le match. One rescheduled the game.
Nous décalâmes Nous avons décalé la conférence. We rescheduled the conference.
Vous décalâtes Vous avez décalé le départ. You rescheduled the departure.
Ils décalèrent Ils ont décalé la livraison. They rescheduled the delivery.
Elles décalèrent Elles ont décalé leur réunion. They (feminine) rescheduled their meeting.

Other Conjugations for Décaler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décaler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the décaler Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

Décaler – 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 décaler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply