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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défier

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The English translation of the French verb “défier” is “to defy” or “to challenge”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form “défier” is [deh-FYAY].

The verb “défier” originated from the Old French word “desfier” which meant “to challenge”. It derives from the Latin word “disfidare” meaning “to disavow trust”. In everyday French, “défier” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense to describe past actions in a formal or literary context.

Here are three simple examples of using “défier” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. J’ai défié mes peurs et j’ai sauté en parachute. (I defied my fears and I jumped out of a plane.)
  2. Il défia les autorités en refusant d’obéir. (He defied the authorities by refusing to obey.)
  3. Elle défia son professeur en argumentant sa position. (She defied her teacher by arguing her position.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is primarily used in written French, especially in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts, whereas in spoken French, the passé composé is more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je défiai Je défiai mon adversaire. I challenged my opponent.
Tu défias Tu défias les règles. You defied the rules.
Il défia Il défia son rival. He challenged his rival.
Elle défia Elle défia l’autorité. She defied authority.
On défia On défia les lois. One defied the laws.
Nous défiâmes Nous défiâmes nos ennemis. We defied our enemies.
Vous défîtes Vous défîtes vos adversaires. You defied your opponents.
Ils défirent Ils défirent leurs promesses. They broke their promises.
Elles défirent Elles défirent les règles. They (feminine) defied the rules.

Other Conjugations for Défier.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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