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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déforcer

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of déforcer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “déforcer” is “to force open” or “to break open”. The infinitive form of “déforcer” is pronounced as day-for-say.

The word “déforcer” is derived from the French verb “forcer” (to force) by adding the prefix “dé-” which denotes the action of undoing or reversing. In everyday French, “déforcer” is used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past) to describe actions that occurred in the past and are completed. However, the use of Passé Simple is less common in spoken French and mostly reserved for formal writing, literature, and storytelling.

Here are three examples of “déforcer” used in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Ils déforcèrent la porte pour entrer dans la maison.
    (They forced open the door to enter the house.)

  2. Le cambrioleur déforça la fenêtre pour s’introduire dans la pièce.
    (The burglar forced open the window to break into the room.)

  3. Les pompiers déforcèrent la porte pour sauver les habitants.
    (The firefighters forced open the door to rescue the residents.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je déforçai Je déforçai la porte. I forced the door.
Tu déforças Tu déforças la serrure. You forced the lock.
Il déforça Il déforça la fenêtre. He forced the window.
Elle déforça Elle déforça la porte. She forced the door.
On déforça On déforça la clôture. One forced the fence.
Nous déforçâmes Nous déforçâmes la porte. We forced the door.
Vous déforçâtes Vous déforçâtes la serrure. You forced the lock.
Ils déforcèrent Ils déforcèrent la vitre. They forced the window.
Elles déforcèrent Elles déforcèrent la porte. They (feminine) forced the door.

Other Conjugations for Déforcer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déforcer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the déforcer Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply