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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décéder

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of décéder. 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 “décéder” is “to pass away” or “to die.” The infinitive form, “décéder,” is pronounced as “day-say-day.”

The verb “décéder” derives from the Latin word “decessus,” which means “departure” or “death.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense when referring to someone’s death. However, it is worth noting that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and is mainly found in formal writing or literature.

Here are three examples of the usage of “décéder” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Mon grand-père décéda il y a dix ans.
    (My grandfather passed away ten years ago.)

  2. Marie Curie décéda en 1934.
    (Marie Curie died in 1934.)

  3. Plusieurs personnes célèbres décédèrent lors de cette triste journée.
    (Several famous people died on that sad day.)

It is important to note that while “décéder” is commonly used to refer to the act of dying, it is considered more formal than the everyday French verb “mourir” (to die). “Mourir” is widely used in both spoken and written French to express the same concept.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je décédai Je décédai hier soir. I passed away last night.
Tu décédas Tu décédas à l’hôpital. You passed away at the hospital.
Il décéda Il décéda soudainement. He passed away suddenly.
Elle décéda Elle décéda paisiblement. She passed away peacefully.
On décéda On décéda à un jeune âge. One passed away at a young age.
Nous décédâmes Nous décédâmes ensemble. We passed away together.
Vous décédâtes Vous décédâtes en paix. You passed away in peace.
Ils décédèrent Ils décédèrent tragiquement. They passed away tragically.
Elles décédèrent Elles décédèrent à la même heure. They (feminine) passed away at the same time.

Other Conjugations for Décéder.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décéder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 décéder Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply