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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déplier

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The English translation of the French verb déplier is “to unfold.” The infinitive form déplier is pronounced as “day-plee-yay.”

Déplier originates from the Latin verb “duplicare,” which means “to double.” In everyday French, déplier is often used in the Passé Simple tense, which is mainly found in written French and formal speech. It expresses completed actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of déplier in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’ouvris la lettre et la dépliai avec précaution. (I opened the letter and unfolded it carefully.)
  2. Elle prit la carte et la déplia soigneusement. (She took the map and unfolded it carefully.)
  3. Nous dépliâmes le plan pour trouver notre destination. (We unfolded the map to find our destination.)

Note: It’s important to mention that the Passé Simple tense is not used as frequently in everyday conversation, and it is more commonly replaced by the Passé Composé tense.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dépliai Je dépliai la lettre. I unfolded the letter.
Tu déplias Tu déplias le plan. You unfolded the map.
Il déplia Il déplia la serviette. He unfolded the napkin.
Elle déplia Elle déplia la robe. She unfolded the dress.
On déplia On déplia le journal. One unfolded the newspaper.
Nous dépliâmes Nous dépliâmes le document. We unfolded the document.
Vous dépliâtes Vous dépliâtes le prospectus. You unfolded the brochure.
Ils déplièrent Ils déplièrent la carte. They unfolded the map.
Elles déplièrent Elles déplièrent le journal. They (feminine) unfolded the newspaper.

Other Conjugations for Déplier.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déplier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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