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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dédommager

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The English translation of the French verb “dédommager” is “to compensate” or “to reimburse.” The pronunciation of its infinitive form “dédommager” is [de-dɔ.ma.ʒe].

The language origin of “dédommager” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating negation or reversal) and the verb “dommager” (meaning “to damage” or “to harm”). It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) to describe completed actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “dédommager” in the Passé Simple tense and their respective English translations:

  1. Nous dédommageâmes les clients insatisfaits. (We compensated the dissatisfied customers.)
  2. L’entreprise dédommagea les victimes de l’accident. (The company reimbursed the victims of the accident.)
  3. Les voyageurs furent dédommagés pour le retard du train. (The travelers were compensated for the train delay.)

In these examples, “dédommager” is used to express actions of compensating or reimbursing that occurred in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dédommageai Je dédommageai le client. I compensated the client.
Tu dédommageas Tu dédommageas la victime. You compensated the victim.
Il dédommagea Il dédommagea son collègue. He compensated his colleague.
Elle dédommagea Elle dédommagea son ami. She compensated her friend.
On dédommagea On dédommagea l’équipe. One compensated the team.
Nous dédommageâmes Nous dédommageâmes les employés. We compensated the employees.
Vous dédommageâtes Vous dédommageâtes les clients. You compensated the clients.
Ils dédommagèrent Ils dédommagèrent les sinistrés. They compensated the victims.
Elles dédommagèrent Elles dédommagèrent les bénévoles. They (feminine) compensated the volunteers.

Other Conjugations for Dédommager.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dédommager

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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