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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépiler

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The English translation of the French verb “dépiler” is “to remove hair” or “to depilate.” The infinitive form “dépiler” is pronounced as “day-pee-lay.”

The verb “dépiler” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating removal or separation) and the verb “piler” (to crush, pound or grind). It is primarily used in everyday French to refer to the action of removing or getting rid of hair from the body.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, which is more commonly used in written French, “dépiler” is conjugated as follows:

  • Je dépilai (I depilated)
  • Tu dépilas (You depilated)
  • Il/Elle dépila (He/She depilated)
  • Nous dépilâmes (We depilated)
  • Vous dépilâtes (You depilated)
  • Ils/Elles dépilèrent (They depilated)

Example sentences in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Hier, je dépilai mes jambes pour la première fois. (Yesterday, I depilated my legs for the first time.)
  2. Elle dépila ses sourcils avant la soirée. (She depilated her eyebrows before the party.)
  3. Nous dépilâmes nos aisselles pour la séance de natation. (We depilated our armpits for the swimming session.)

Please note that while the Passé Simple is used in literature and formal writing, in everyday conversation and informal writing, the Passé Composé tense is more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dépilai J’ai dépilé mes jambes. I waxed my legs.
Tu dépilas Tu dépilas tes sourcils. You waxed your eyebrows.
Il dépila Il défila sa barbe. He waxed his beard.
Elle dépila Elle défila ses bras. She waxed her arms.
On dépila On défila ses jambes. One waxed their legs.
Nous dépilâmes Nous défilâmes notre dos. We waxed our back.
Vous dépilâtes Vous défilâtes vos aisselles. You waxed your armpits.
Ils dépilèrent Ils défilèrent leurs jambes. They waxed their legs.
Elles dépilèrent Elles défilèrent leurs bras. They (feminine) waxed their arms.

Other Conjugations for Dépiler.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépiler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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