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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défâcher

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The English translation of the French verb défâcher is “to unclasp” or “to unhook.” The pronunciation of its infinitive form “défâcher” is as follows: deuh-fah-shay.

The verb défâcher has its origin in the Old French word ‘desfacher,’ which means “to detach” or “to unfasten.” In everyday French, especially in the Passé Simple tense, it is less commonly used today compared to other tenses.

Examples of the usage of défâcher in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Je défâchai mon collier avant de me coucher.
    (I unclasped my necklace before going to bed.)

  2. Il défâcha sa ceinture et la posa sur la chaise.
    (He unhooked his belt and placed it on the chair.)

  3. Elle défâcha les boutons de son manteau en rentrant chez elle.
    (She unfastened the buttons of her coat when she arrived home.)

English translations:

  1. I unclasped my necklace before going to bed.
  2. He unhooked his belt and placed it on the chair.
  3. She unfastened the buttons of her coat when she arrived home.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je défaçai Je défaçai le tableau. I faded the painting.
Tu défaças Tu défaças la robe. You faded the dress.
Il défaça Il défaça le papier. He faded the paper.
Elle défaça Elle défaça la couleur. She faded the color.
On défaça On défaça les photos. One faded the photos.
Nous défaçâmes Nous défaçâmes les affiches. We faded the posters.
Vous défaçâtes Vous défaçâtes le tissu. You faded the fabric.
Ils défairent Ils défairent les impressions. They faded the prints.
Elles défairent Elles défairent les gravures. They (feminine) faded the engravings.

Other Conjugations for Défâcher.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défâcher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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