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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déchiffonner

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The English translation of the French verb déchiffonner is “to uncrumple” or “to smooth out.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form déchiffonner is “day-shee-fo-nay.”

Déchiffonner is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating reversal or removal) and the verb chiffonner (meaning “to crumple” or “to rumple”). It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense that is primarily used in written French.

Here are three examples of déchiffonner in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Elle déchiffonna le papier froissé.
    (She uncrumpled the crinkled paper.)

  2. Il déchiffonna rapidement sa chemise avant la réunion.
    (He quickly smoothed out his shirt before the meeting.)

  3. Nous déchiffonnâmes les draps avant de nous coucher.
    (We uncrumpled the sheets before going to bed.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and has been mostly replaced by the Passé Composé tense in everyday conversation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je déchiffonnai J’ai déchiffonné le papier. I crumpled the paper.
Tu déchiffonnas Tu déchiffonnas la chemise. You crumpled the shirt.
Il déchiffonna Il déchiffonna le document. He crumpled the document.
Elle déchiffonna Elle déchiffonna la lettre. She crumpled the letter.
On déchiffonna On déchiffonna le magazine. One crumpled the magazine.
Nous déchiffonnâmes Nous déchiffonnâmes le tissu. We crumpled the fabric.
Vous déchiffonnâtes Vous déchiffonnâtes le drap. You crumpled the sheet.
Ils déchiffonnèrent Ils déchiffonnèrent la nappe. They crumpled the tablecloth.
Elles déchiffonnèrent Elles déchiffonnèrent la robe. They (feminine) crumpled the dress.

Other Conjugations for Déchiffonner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déchiffonner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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