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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dédoubler

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The English translation of the French verb dédoubler is “to split/double.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “dédoubler” is: “day-doo-blay.”

“Dédoubler” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating a reversal or separation) and the verb “doubler” (to double). It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of splitting or doubling something, both in the literal and figurative sense.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), dédoubler is conjugated as follows:

  • Je dédoublai (I split/doubled)
  • Tu dédoublas (You split/doubled)
  • Il/elle/on dédoubla (He/she/one split/doubled)
  • Nous dédoublâmes (We split/doubled)
  • Vous dédoublâtes (You split/doubled)
  • Ils/elles dédoublèrent (They split/doubled)

Here are three simple examples of dédoubler in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. J’ouvris mon parapluie et je dédoublai sa taille.
    (I opened my umbrella and doubled its size.)
  2. L’entreprise dédoubla ses bénéfices après la réorganisation.
    (The company doubled its profits after the reorganization.)
  3. Les scientifiques dédoublèrent l’ADN pour étudier ses propriétés.
    (Scientists split DNA to study its properties.)

English translations:

  1. I opened my umbrella and doubled its size.
  2. The company doubled its profits after the reorganization.
  3. Scientists split DNA to study its properties.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dédoublai J’ai dédoublé ma personnalité. I split my personality.
Tu dédoublas Tu dédoublas les cartes. You split the cards.
Il dédoubla Il dédoubla sa mise. He doubled his bet.
Elle dédoubla Elle dédoubla ses efforts. She doubled her efforts.
On dédoubla On dédoubla les effectifs. One doubled the workforce.
Nous dédoublâmes Nous dédoublâmes le nombre de places. We doubled the number of seats.
Vous dédoublâtes Vous dédoublâtes le temps de jeu. You doubled the playing time.
Ils dédoublèrent Ils dédoublèrent leur revenu. They doubled their income.
Elles dédoublèrent Elles dédoublèrent la clôture. They (feminine) doubled the fence.

Other Conjugations for Dédoubler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dédoubler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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