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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénerver

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The English translation of the French verb dénerver is “to unnerve” or “to get on someone’s nerves.” The infinitive form, dénerver, is pronounced as “dey-ner-vay.”

Dénerver is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which indicates negation or reversal) and the verb “nerver” (meaning “to nerve” or “to irritate”). It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of unsettling or disturbing someone, causing annoyance or irritation.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), dénerver is less frequently used in spoken French and is more commonly found in written texts such as literature or formal writing. Here are three examples of dénerver in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Il dénerva ses collègues avec ses commentaires sarcastiques.
    (He unnerved his colleagues with his sarcastic comments.)

  2. Les critiques de son travail le dénervèrent énormément.
    (The criticism of his work unnerved him greatly.)

  3. L’attitude méprisante de son patron le dénerva pendant toute la réunion.
    (His boss’s condescending attitude got on his nerves throughout the entire meeting.)

Note: While the Passé Simple tense is used in written French, it has largely been replaced by the more common Passé Composé tense in spoken French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dénervai Je dénervai la situation. I unnerved the situation.
Tu dénervas Tu dénervas ton interlocuteur. You unnerved your interlocutor.
Il dénerva Il dénerva ses adversaires. He unnerved his opponents.
Elle dénerva Elle dénerva son professeur. She unnerved her teacher.
On dénerva On dénerva tout le monde. One unnerved everyone.
Nous dénervâmes Nous dénervâmes nos ennemis. We unnerved our enemies.
Vous dénervâtes Vous dénervâtes l’équipe adverse. You unnerved the opposing team.
Ils dénervèrent Ils dénervèrent leurs rivaux. They unnerved their rivals.
Elles dénervèrent Elles dénervèrent leurs collègues. They (feminine) unnerved their colleagues.

Other Conjugations for Dénerver.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénerver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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