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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégainer

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The English translation of the French verb “dégainer” is “to draw (a weapon).” The infinitive form “dégainer” is pronounced as “deh-gen-ey.”

“Dégainer” is derived from the Old French word “desgaignier,” which means “to unsheathe” or “to draw out.” It ultimately comes from the Latin word “dis” (out) and “canthus” (rim of a wheel). In everyday French, “dégainer” is commonly used to describe the action of drawing a weapon from its sheath or holster quickly.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “dégainer” is not frequently used in everyday conversations as it belongs to a more formal and literary register. However, it can still be found in literature, historical texts, or in specific contexts where the use of the Simple Past is required. Here are three examples of “dégainer” in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il dégaina son épée et attaqua son adversaire.
    Translation: He drew his sword and attacked his opponent.

  2. Le bandit dégaina son revolver et menaça tout le monde.
    Translation: The bandit drew his revolver and threatened everyone.

  3. Le cow-boy dégaina plus rapidement que son ombre.
    Translation: The cowboy drew faster than his shadow.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dégainai J’ai dégainé mon épée. I unsheathed my sword.
Tu dégainas Tu dégainas ton pistolet. You unsheathed your gun.
Il dégaina Il dégaina rapidement. He unsheathed quickly.
Elle dégaina Elle dégaina son couteau. She unsheathed her knife.
On dégaina On dégaina avec force. One unsheathed forcefully.
Nous dégainâmes Nous dégainâmes nos épées. We unsheathed our swords.
Vous dégainâtes Vous dégainâtes vos armes. You unsheathed your weapons.
Ils dégainèrent Ils dégainèrent leurs épées. They unsheathed their swords.
Elles dégainèrent Elles dégainèrent leurs couteaux. They (feminine) unsheathed their knives.

Other Conjugations for Dégainer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégainer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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