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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénitrer

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of dénitrer. 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 “dénitrer” is “to denitrate.” The infinitive form, “dénitrer,” is pronounced as “dey-nee-treh.”

“Dénitrer” is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “to remove” or “to undo”) and the noun “nitrate” (referring to a compound containing the nitrate ion). It is primarily used in scientific or technical contexts to describe the process of removing or reducing nitrates from a substance or environment.

In everyday French, the passé simple (simple past) tense is rarely used in spoken language. Instead, it is commonly found in literary works, historical accounts, or formal writing. Here are three examples of “dénitrer” in the passé simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Les chercheurs dénitrèrent l’eau contaminée pour la rendre potable.
    (The researchers denitrated the contaminated water to make it drinkable.)

  2. L’industrie a finalement dénitré les carburants pour réduire les émissions nocives.
    (The industry finally denitrated the fuels to reduce harmful emissions.)

  3. Le traitement des eaux usées dénitra les effluents avant de les rejeter dans la rivière.
    (The wastewater treatment denitrated the effluents before discharging them into the river.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dénitrai J’ai dénitré le sol. I denitrified the soil.
Tu dénistras Tu as dénitré l’eau. You denitrified the water.
Il dénitra Il a dénitré la terre. He denitrified the land.
Elle dénitra Elle a dénitré la plante. She denitrified the plant.
On dénitra On a dénitré le jardin. One denitrified the garden.
Nous dénitrâmes Nous avons dénitré les cultures. We denitrified the crops.
Vous dénitrâtes Vous avez dénitré la rivière. You denitrified the river.
Ils dénitrèrent Ils ont dénitré le sol. They denitrified the soil.
Elles dénitrèrent Elles ont dénitré le sol. They (feminine) denitrified the soil.

Other Conjugations for Dénitrer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénitrer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 dénitrer Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply