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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déclasser

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The English translation of the French verb déclasser is “to downgrade” or “to demote.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “déclasser” is [dey-kla-sey].

Déclasser originated from the combination of the prefix “dé-” which conveys the sense of “undoing” or “opposite” and the verb “classer” meaning “to classify.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of lowering someone or something in rank, status, or classification.

Examples of déclasser in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Ils déclassèrent le joueur de l’équipe première. (They demoted the player from the first team.)
  2. Elle déclassa son employé suite à sa mauvaise performance. (She downgraded her employee due to his poor performance.)
  3. Nous déclassâmes le vin en le transférant dans une catégorie de moindre qualité. (We downgraded the wine by transferring it to a lower-quality category.)

In these examples, déclasser is used in the Passé Simple tense to describe past actions of demoting or downgrading someone or something.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je déclassai J’ai déclassai l’étudiant. I downgraded the student.
Tu déclassas Tu déclassas le joueur. You downgraded the player.
Il déclassa Il déclassa l’entreprise. He downgraded the company.
Elle déclassa Elle déclassa la voiture. She downgraded the car.
On déclassa On déclassa le produit. One downgraded the product.
Nous déclassâmes Nous déclassâmes le diplôme. We downgraded the diploma.
Vous déclassâtes Vous déclassâtes l’équipe. You downgraded the team.
Ils déclassèrent Ils déclassèrent le film. They downgraded the movie.
Elles déclassèrent Elles déclassèrent la maison. They (feminine) downgraded the house.

Other Conjugations for Déclasser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déclasser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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