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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déflaquer

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The English translation of the French verb déflaquer is “to flatten” or “to squash”. The infinitive form of déflaquer is pronounced as “dey-fla-keh”.

Déflaquer is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “down” or “off”) and the verb “flaquer” (meaning “to flatten” or “to be squashed”). It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is used for actions completed in the past and is more commonly found in written and formal contexts.

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

  1. Je déflaquai les cartons pour les recycler.
    (I flattened the cardboard boxes to recycle them.)

  2. L’ouvrier déflaqua les pneus usés avant de les jeter.
    (The worker squashed the worn-out tires before throwing them away.)

  3. Elle déflaqua les pommes de terre pour préparer la purée.
    (She mashed the potatoes to prepare the mashed potatoes.)

In these examples, déflaquer is used to describe the action of flattening or squashing different objects, such as cardboard boxes, tires, and potatoes.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je déflaquai Je déflaquai la chemise. I unstuck the shirt.
Tu déflaquas Tu déflaquas le papier. You unstuck the paper.
Il déflaqua Il déflaqua la photo. He unstuck the photo.
Elle déflaqua Elle déflaqua l’autocollant. She unstuck the sticker.
On déflaqua On déflaqua le timbre. One unstuck the stamp.
Nous déflaquâmes Nous déflaquâmes les affiches. We unstuck the posters.
Vous déflaquâtes Vous déflaquâtes les étiquettes. You unstuck the labels.
Ils déflaquèrent Ils déflaquèrent les photos. They unstuck the photos.
Elles déflaquèrent Elles déflaquèrent les cartes. They (feminine) unstuck the cards.

Other Conjugations for Déflaquer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déflaquer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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