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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégivrer

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The English translation of the French verb “dégivrer” is “to defrost.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-zhee-vray.”

The word “dégivrer” is derived from two elements: “dé-” which is a prefix indicating the reversal of an action, and “givre” meaning “frost.” Therefore, “dégivrer” literally means “to reverse frost” or “to remove frost.”

In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written language, literature, or formal contexts. Although the usage of the Passé Simple has significantly decreased in spoken French, it is still encountered in written narratives, historical texts, or formal writing.

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

  1. Je dégivrai mon congélateur hier.
    (I defrosted my freezer yesterday.)

  2. Il dégivra les vitres du véhicule avant de partir.
    (He defrosted the vehicle’s windows before leaving.)

  3. Nous dégivrâmes les tuyaux gelés pour éviter les fuites.
    (We defrosted the frozen pipes to prevent leaks.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dégivrai J’ai dégivrai le pare-brise. I defrosted the windshield.
Tu dégivras Tu as dégivras le congélateur. You defrosted the freezer.
Il dégivra Il a dégivra le réfrigérateur. He defrosted the refrigerator.
Elle dégivra Elle a dégivra les vitres. She defrosted the windows.
On dégivra On a dégivra les ailes de l’avion. One defrosted the plane’s wings.
Nous dégivrâmes Nous avons dégivrâmes la voiture. We defrosted the car.
Vous dégivrâtes Vous avez dégivrâtes l’avion. You defrosted the airplane.
Ils dégivrèrent Ils ont dégivrèrent le pare-brise. They defrosted the windshield.
Elles dégivrèrent Elles ont dégivrèrent la voiture. They (feminine) defrosted the car.

Other Conjugations for Dégivrer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégivrer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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