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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déguiller

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of déguiller. 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 déguiller is “to come off” or “to detach”. The infinitive form, déguiller, is pronounced as “dey-ghee-yay”.

Déguiller comes from the Old French word “deguieller”, which means “to dislocate” or “to remove from the joint”. It is derived from the Latin word “ex” meaning “out”, and “gula” meaning “throat”. In everyday French, déguiller is used in the Passé Simple tense to indicate an action that happened and was completed in the past.

Here are three simple examples of déguiller in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Le tuyau déguilla de la machine. (The pipe came off the machine.)
  2. Le bouton de la chemise se déguilla. (The button detached from the shirt.)
  3. Les roues de la voiture se déguillèrent. (The wheels came off the car.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in written French, particularly in literature, and is less commonly used in spoken language.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je déguillai Je déguillai les fils. I untangled the wires.
Tu déguillas Tu déguillas la corde. You untangled the rope.
Il déguilla Il déguilla le câble. He untangled the cable.
Elle déguilla Elle déguilla la chaîne. She untangled the chain.
On déguilla On déguilla le fil. One untangled the thread.
Nous déguillâmes Nous déguillâmes les câbles. We untangled the cables.
Vous déguillâtes Vous déguillâtes la ficelle. You untangled the string.
Ils déguillèrent Ils déguillèrent les branches. They untangled the branches.
Elles déguillèrent Elles déguillèrent les cordes. They (feminine) untangled the ropes.

Other Conjugations for Déguiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déguiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 déguiller Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply