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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délaver

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The English translation of the French verb “délaver” is “to fade” or “to wash out.” The infinitive form “délaver” is pronounced as “day-la-vay.”

The word “délaver” is derived from the Old French term “deslaver,” which means “to wash away.” It originated from the Latin word “dislavare,” where “dis” denotes reversal or removal, and “lavare” means “to wash.” In everyday French, “délaver” is most often used in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary past tense used in formal writing and storytelling.

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

  1. Les couleurs se délavèrent au soleil. (The colors faded in the sun.)
  2. Les vêtements se délavèrent après plusieurs lavages. (The clothes washed out after several washes.)
  3. Les photos délavèrent avec le temps. (The photos faded with time.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French and is mainly found in written literature. In everyday spoken French, the compound past tense (Passé Composé) is favored.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je délavai J’ai délavai le pantalon. I washed the pants.
Tu délavas Tu délavas le t-shirt. You washed the t-shirt.
Il délava Il délava la chemise. He washed the shirt.
Elle délava Elle délava la robe. She washed the dress.
On délava On délava les vêtements. One washed the clothes.
Nous délavâmes Nous délavâmes les draps. We washed the sheets.
Vous délavâtes Vous délavâtes les chaussettes. You washed the socks.
Ils délavèrent Ils délavèrent les jeans. They washed the jeans.
Elles délavèrent Elles délavèrent les jupes. They (feminine) washed the skirts.

Other Conjugations for Délaver.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délaver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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