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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démener

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The English translation of the French verb “démener” is “to struggle” or “to strive.” The infinitive form “démener” is pronounced as [de.me.ne].

The verb “démener” originates from the Old French word “desmener” which meant “to lead” or “to manage.” Over time, its meaning evolved to signify struggling or striving. In everyday French, “démener” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is typically reserved for formal or written French.

Here are three examples of “démener” used in the Passé Simple tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il se démêna pour réussir son examen.
    (He struggled to pass his exam.)

  2. Elle se démêna avec la porte coincée.
    (She struggled with the stuck door.)

  3. Ils se démênèrent afin de sauver la situation.
    (They strove to save the situation.)

In these examples, “démener” expresses the action of struggling or striving in the past, highlighting the effort put into achieving a goal or overcoming a difficulty.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je me démenai Je me démenai pour trouver une solution. I struggled to find a solution.
Tu te démenas Tu te démenas pour le convaincre. You struggled to convince him.
Il se démena Il se démena pour atteindre son objectif. He struggled to achieve his goal.
Elle se démena Elle se démena pour obtenir une promotion. She struggled to get a promotion.
On se démena On se démena pour organiser l’événement. One struggled to organize the event.
Nous nous démenâmes Nous nous démenâmes pour résoudre le problème. We struggled to solve the problem.
Vous vous démenâtes Vous vous démenâtes pour le sauver. You struggled to save him.
Ils se démenèrent Ils se démenèrent pour gagner le match. They struggled to win the game.
Elles se démenèrent Elles se démenèrent pour trouver une solution. They (feminine) struggled to find a solution.

Other Conjugations for Démener.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démener

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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