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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défretter

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of défretter. 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 “défretter” is “to uncrease” or “to remove creases.” The infinitive form “défretter” is pronounced as “day-fret-ay.”

The word “défretter” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “undo” or “remove”) and the verb “fretter” (meaning “to crease” or “to wrinkle”). It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, which is primarily used in formal or written contexts.

Here are three simple examples of “défretter” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. J’ouvris la chemise et je la défrettai rapidement.
    (I opened the shirt and quickly uncreased it.)

  2. Elle défretta soigneusement la robe avant de la porter.
    (She carefully removed the creases from the dress before wearing it.)

  3. Nous défrettâmes les draps avant de les mettre sur le lit.
    (We uncreased the sheets before putting them on the bed.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and has been largely replaced by the more commonly used Passé Composé tense in everyday conversation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je défrettai Je dérettai ma chemise. I ironed my shirt.
Tu défrettas Tu défrettas sa veste. You ironed his jacket.
Il défretta Il déretta son pantalon. He ironed his pants.
Elle défretta Elle déretta la robe. She ironed the dress.
On défretta On déretta les chemises. One ironed the shirts.
Nous défrettâmes Nous dérettâmes les draps. We ironed the sheets.
Vous défrettâtes Vous dérettâtes le linge. You ironed the laundry.
Ils défrettèrent Ils dérettèrent les costumes. They ironed the suits.
Elles défrettèrent Elles dérettèrent les jupes. They (feminine) ironed the skirts.

Other Conjugations for Défretter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défretter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 défretter Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply