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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépaver

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The English translation of the French verb “dépaver” is “to unpave” or “to remove the pavement.” The infinitive form “dépaver” is pronounced as [dey-pa-vey].

The word “dépaver” is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which indicates removal or reversal) and the verb “paver” (to pave). It is primarily used to describe the action of removing or taking away pavement from a surface. In everyday French, it can refer to activities such as unearthing cobblestones or breaking up asphalt.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), which is mostly used in formal or literary contexts, “dépaver” conjugates as follows:

  • Je dépavai (I unpaved)
  • Tu dépavas (You unpaved)
  • Il/Elle/On dépava (He/She/One unpaved)
  • Nous dépavâmes (We unpaved)
  • Vous dépavâtes (You unpaved)
  • Ils/Elles dépavèrent (They unpaved)

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

  1. Les ouvriers dépavèrent la rue pour effectuer des travaux d’assainissement.
    (The workers unpaved the street to carry out sanitation work.)

  2. Le chantier dépavâmes une partie de la place afin de créer une zone piétonne.
    (We unpaved a section of the square to create a pedestrian area.)

  3. En 1998, ils dépavèrent les ruelles du quartier historique pour restaurer leur aspect d’origine.
    (In 1998, they unpaved the alleys of the historic neighborhood to restore their original appearance.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dépavai Je dépavai la rue. I unpaved the street.
Tu dépavas Tu dépavas l’allée. You unpaved the pathway.
Il dépava Il dépava la cour. He unpaved the courtyard.
Elle dépava Elle dépava la chaussée. She unpaved the road.
On dépava On dépava la place. One unpaved the square.
Nous dépavâmes Nous dépavâmes les trottoirs. We unpaved the sidewalks.
Vous dépavâtes Vous dépavâtes le parking. You unpaved the parking lot.
Ils dépavèrent Ils dépavèrent le chemin. They unpaved the path.
Elles dépavèrent Elles dépavèrent la route. They (feminine) unpaved the road.

Other Conjugations for Dépaver.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépaver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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