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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégrafer

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The English translation of the French verb “dégrafer” is “to unfasten” or “to unhook.” The infinitive form “dégrafer” is pronounced as “dey-grah-fey.”

The verb “dégrafer” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which indicates reversal) and the verb “agrafer” (to fasten or to hook). It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense when referring to actions that occurred in the past and are viewed as completed events.

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

  1. J’agrafai la veste et ensuite je la dégrafai. (I fastened the jacket and then unfastened it.)
  2. Elle agrafa son soutien-gorge avant de se coucher, puis elle le dégrafa. (She fastened her bra before going to bed, then unfastened it.)
  3. Nous agrafâmes les rideaux le matin et les dégrafâmes le soir. (We fastened the curtains in the morning and unfastened them in the evening.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mostly used in formal or written French. In spoken or informal language, the Passé Composé tense (equivalent to the English Present Perfect) is more commonly used to express completed past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dégrafai Je dégrafai mon manteau. I unfastened my coat.
Tu dégrafas Tu dégrafas ta ceinture. You unfastened your belt.
Il dégrafa Il dégrafa son chemisier. He unfastened his blouse.
Elle dégrafa Elle dégrafa son soutien-gorge. She unfastened her bra.
On dégrafa On dégrafa le col. One unfastened the collar.
Nous dégrafâmes Nous dégrafâmes nos vestes. We unfastened our jackets.
Vous dégrafâtes Vous dégrafâtes votre pantalon. You unfastened your pants.
Ils dégrafèrent Ils dégrafèrent leurs chaussures. They unfastened their shoes.
Elles dégrafèrent Elles dégrafèrent leurs robes. They (feminine) unfastened their dresses.

Other Conjugations for Dégrafer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégrafer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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