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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décapeler

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The English translation of the French verb décapeler is “to decapitate” or “to behead.” The infinitive form “décapeler” is pronounced as “deh-kah-peh-leh.”

The verb décapeler is derived from the Latin word “decapitare,” which means “to behead.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe actions that occurred and were completed in the past. In modern French, the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in literature, formal writing, or storytelling.

Here are three examples of décapeler used in the Passé Simple tense along with their English translations:

  1. Le bourreau décapela le prisonnier.
    (The executioner beheaded the prisoner.)

  2. Le roi décapela ses ennemis.
    (The king decapitated his enemies.)

  3. Pendant la Révolution française, de nombreux aristocrates furent décapelés.
    (During the French Revolution, many aristocrats were beheaded.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je décapelai J’ai décapelai le bouchon. I opened the cap.
Tu décapelas Tu décapelas la bouteille. You opened the bottle.
Il décapela Il décapela le tube. He opened the tube.
Elle décapela Elle décapela le récipient. She opened the container.
On décapela On décapela le flacon. One opened the flask.
Nous décapelâmes Nous décapelâmes les boîtes. We opened the cans.
Vous décapelâtes Vous décapelâtes le pot. You opened the jar.
Ils décapelèrent Ils décapelèrent le bidon. They opened the can.
Elles décapelèrent Elles décapelèrent la bouteille. They (feminine) opened the bottle.

Other Conjugations for Décapeler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décapeler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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