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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déparler

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The English translation of the French verb déparler is “to unspeak.” The infinitive form of déparler is pronounced as “day-par-lay.”

Déparler is a compound verb composed of the prefix “dé-” (indicating the reversal or undoing of an action) and the verb “parler” (to speak). It primarily originates from the Latin word “disparabolare,” which means to deny or retract what has been said.

In everyday French, the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken language but is commonly found in written texts, literature, or formal contexts. It is mainly used to express actions completed in the past. Here are three simple examples of déparler in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il déparla rapidement sa promesse. (He unsaid his promise quickly.)
  2. Elle déparla son témoignage devant le tribunal. (She unsaid her testimony in front of the court.)
  3. Ils déparlèrent leurs propos insultants. (They unsaid their insulting words.)

Please note that in contemporary French, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express actions completed in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je déparlai Je déparlai avec lui. I spoke against him.
Tu déparlas Tu déparlas de moi. You spoke against me.
Il déparla Il déparla de son ami. He spoke against his friend.
Elle déparla Elle déparla de sa famille. She spoke against her family.
On déparla On déparla de cette affaire. One spoke against this matter.
Nous déparlâmes Nous déparlâmes de toi. We spoke against you.
Vous déparlâtes Vous déparlâtes de nous. You spoke against us.
Ils déparlèrent Ils déparlèrent de leur voisin. They spoke against their neighbor.
Elles déparlèrent Elles déparlèrent de leur collègue. They (feminine) spoke against their colleague.

Other Conjugations for Déparler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déparler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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