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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décélérer

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The English translation of the French verb “décélérer” is “to decelerate” or “to slow down”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form “décélérer” is [dey-sey-leh-rey].

Décélérer is derived from the Latin word “decelerare”, which means “to slow down”. It is used in everyday French to describe the action of reducing speed or slowing down, whether it is in the context of driving, sports, or any other activity that involves a decrease in velocity.

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

  1. Il décéléra brusquement avant de tourner à droite.
    (He decelerated abruptly before turning right.)

  2. L’équipe de cyclisme décéléra à l’approche de la montée.
    (The cycling team slowed down as they approached the climb.)

  3. Le train décéléra progressivement en approchant de la gare.
    (The train slowed down gradually as it approached the station.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and is mostly found in literature or formal writing. In everyday conversation, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to talk about past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je décélérai J’ai décéléré la voiture. I decelerated the car.
Tu décéléras Tu as décéléré brusquement. You decelerated suddenly.
Il décéléra Il décéléra progressivement. He decelerated gradually.
Elle décéléra Elle décéléra en approchant du feu rouge. She decelerated as she approached the red light.
On décéléra On décéléra pour éviter l’accident. One decelerated to avoid the accident.
Nous décélérâmes Nous décélérâmes avant le virage. We decelerated before the turn.
Vous décélérâtes Vous décélérâtes à l’approche du panneau. You decelerated as you approached the sign.
Ils décélérèrent Ils décélérèrent en voyant le piéton. They decelerated when they saw the pedestrian.
Elles décélérèrent Elles décélérèrent à la sortie de l’autoroute. They (feminine) decelerated at the highway exit.

Other Conjugations for Décélérer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décélérer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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