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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décomposer

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The English translation of the French verb “décomposer” is “to decompose” or “to break down.” The infinitive form “décomposer” is pronounced as [de-koM-po-zey].

The verb “décomposer” comes from the Latin word “componere,” meaning “to put together.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) to describe a completed action in the past. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written or formal language, while the Passé Composé tense is more common in spoken French for past actions.

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

  1. J’ouvris la fenêtre et laissai l’air décomposer le fruit. (I opened the window and let the air decompose the fruit.)
  2. Il prit une photo des fleurs en train de se décomposer lentement. (He took a picture of the flowers slowly decomposing.)
  3. Les bactéries décomposèrent rapidement la matière organique. (The bacteria quickly decomposed the organic matter.)

These examples showcase different contexts where “décomposer” is used in the Simple Past tense to describe the process of decomposition or breaking down of various substances or materials.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je décomposai Je décomposai le mot. I decomposed the word.
Tu décomposas Tu décomposas la substance. You decomposed the substance.
Il décomposa Il décomposa le composé. He decomposed the compound.
Elle décomposa Elle décomposa la matière. She decomposed the matter.
On décomposa On décomposa l’équation. One decomposed the equation.
Nous décomposâmes Nous décomposâmes le repas. We decomposed the meal.
Vous décomposâtes Vous décomposâtes le tableau. You decomposed the painting.
Ils décomposèrent Ils décomposèrent le produit. They decomposed the product.
Elles décomposèrent Elles décomposèrent la substance. They (feminine) decomposed the substance.

Other Conjugations for Décomposer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décomposer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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