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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décarcasser

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The English translation of the French verb “décarcasser” is “to rack one’s brain” or “to go to great lengths.” It is pronounced as /de-kaʁ.ka.se/.

The word “décarcasser” has its origins in the word “carcasse,” meaning “carcass” or “skeleton.” The prefix “dé” intensifies the action, implying going beyond the limits or putting great effort into something. It is commonly used in everyday French to express the idea of making a considerable effort or struggling to accomplish something.

In the Passé Simple tense, which is mostly used in written French, “décarcasser” is conjugated as follows:

  • je me décarcassai (I racked my brain)
  • tu te décarcassas (you racked your brain)
  • il/elle/on se décarcassa (he/she/one racked his/her brain)
  • nous nous décarcassâmes (we racked our brains)
  • vous vous décarcassâtes (you racked your brains)
  • ils/elles se décarcassèrent (they racked their brains)

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

  1. Je me décarcassai pour trouver une solution. (I racked my brain to find a solution.)
  2. Tu te décarcassas pour terminer le projet à temps. (You went to great lengths to finish the project on time.)
  3. Ils se décarcassèrent pour organiser une fête surprise. (They put a lot of effort into organizing a surprise party.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je décarcassai Je me décarcassai pour finir le projet. I went to great lengths to finish the project.
Tu décarcassas Tu te décarcassas pour aider ton ami. You went to great lengths to help your friend.
Il décarcassa Il se décarcassa pour obtenir le poste. He went to great lengths to get the job.
Elle décarcassa Elle se décarcassa pour organiser la fête. She went to great lengths to organize the party.
On décarcassa On se décarcassa pour résoudre le problème. One went to great lengths to solve the problem.
Nous décarcassâmes Nous nous décarcassâmes pour réussir l’examen. We went to great lengths to pass the exam.
Vous décarcassâtes Vous vous décarcassâtes pour atteindre l’objectif. You went to great lengths to achieve the goal.
Ils décarcassèrent Ils se décarcassèrent pour trouver une solution. They went to great lengths to find a solution.
Elles décarcassèrent Elles se décarcassèrent pour aider leur famille. They (feminine) went to great lengths to help their family.

Other Conjugations for Décarcasser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décarcasser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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