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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégoter

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The English translation of the French verb “dégoter” is “to find” or “to come across.” The infinitive form “dégoter” is pronounced as “day-goh-teh.”

The verb “dégoter” originated from the Old French word “degoter,” which meant “to find by chance.” It is commonly used in everyday French to express the act of finding or stumbling upon something unexpectedly.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “dégoter” is conjugated as follows:

  • Je dégotai (I found)
  • Tu dégotas (You found)
  • Il/elle/on dégota (He/she/one found)
  • Nous dégotâmes (We found)
  • Vous dégotâtes (You found)
  • Ils/elles dégotèrent (They found)

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

  1. J’ai dégoté cette vieille montre dans le grenier.
    (I found this old watch in the attic.)

  2. Tu dégotas un billet de concert par terre.
    (You found a concert ticket on the ground.)

  3. Ils dégotèrent un livre rare dans une librairie d’occasion.
    (They found a rare book in a used bookstore.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dégotai J’ai dégotai un nouveau livre. I found a new book.
Tu dégotas Tu dégotas une solution. You found a solution.
Il dégota Il dégota une belle robe. He found a beautiful dress.
Elle dégota Elle dégota un cadeau pour lui. She found a gift for him.
On dégota On dégota un trésor. One found a treasure.
Nous dégotâmes Nous dégotâmes une bonne affaire. We found a good deal.
Vous dégotâtes Vous dégotâtes un appartement. You found an apartment.
Ils dégotèrent Ils dégotèrent des informations. They found some information.
Elles dégotèrent Elles dégotèrent un emploi. They (feminine) found a job.

Other Conjugations for Dégoter.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégoter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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