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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décalquer

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The English translation of the French verb “décalquer” is “to trace” or “to copy.” The infinitive form “décalquer” is pronounced as “dey-kal-kay.”

The verb “décalquer” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating a reversal or separation) and the verb “calquer” (to trace). It has its origins in the Latin word “calcāre” meaning “to tread” or “to trace.” In everyday French, “décalquer” is often used to refer to the action of tracing or copying an image or design.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “décalquer” is less commonly used in everyday French as it is mainly reserved for formal writing or literature. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’appris à décalquer les dessins de mon frère.
    (I traced/copy the drawings of my brother.)

  2. Elle décalqua les motifs du tissu sur une feuille de papier.
    (She traced/copied the fabric patterns onto a sheet of paper.)

  3. Ils décalquèrent l’image de la carte sur le papier pour la reproduire.
    (They traced/copied the map image onto the paper to reproduce it.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in formal writing and literature, and in everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je décalquai J’ai décalqué le dessin. I traced the drawing.
Tu décalquas Tu as décalqué le motif. You traced the pattern.
Il décalqua Il a décalqué la carte. He traced the map.
Elle décalqua Elle a décalqué la photo. She traced the photo.
On décalqua On a décalqué le logo. One traced the logo.
Nous décalquâmes Nous avons décalqué le texte. We traced the text.
Vous décalquâtes Vous avez décalqué le diagramme. You traced the diagram.
Ils décalquèrent Ils ont décalqué les contours. They traced the outlines.
Elles décalquèrent Elles ont décalqué l’image. They (feminine) traced the image.

Other Conjugations for Décalquer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décalquer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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