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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb découper

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The English translation of the French verb découper is “to cut.” The infinitive form of découper is pronounced as “dey-koo-pey.”

The word découper comes from the Old French word “descouper,” which is derived from the Latin word “discooperire.” In everyday French, découper is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to describe past actions in a formal or literary context.

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

  1. Il découpa la viande en fines tranches. (He cut the meat into thin slices.)
  2. Elle découpa le tissu pour en faire une robe. (She cut the fabric to make a dress.)
  3. Les enfants découpèrent des formes dans du papier coloré. (The children cut shapes in colored paper.)

Note: The usage of the Passé Simple tense has become rarer in spoken French, being mostly replaced by the Passé Composé tense. However, it is still commonly used in literature, formal writing, and historical contexts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je découpai J’ai découpai le papier. I cut the paper.
Tu découpas Tu découpas la photo. You cut the photo.
Il découpa Il découpa le tissu. He cut the fabric.
Elle découpa Elle découpa la carte. She cut the card.
On découpa On découpa le gâteau. One cut the cake.
Nous découpâmes Nous découpâmes les légumes. We cut the vegetables.
Vous découpâtes Vous découpâtes le poulet. You cut the chicken.
Ils découpèrent Ils découpèrent l’arbre. They cut the tree.
Elles découpèrent Elles découpèrent la viande. They (feminine) cut the meat.

Other Conjugations for Découper.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb découper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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