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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépouiller

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The English translation of the French verb “dépouiller” is “to strip” or “to divest.” The infinitive form “dépouiller” is pronounced as “day-pwee-yay.”

The word “dépouiller” comes from the Latin word “depilare,” which means “to pluck” or “to remove hair.” In everyday French, the verb “dépouiller” is commonly used in the Passé Simple tense, which is a literary past tense rarely used in spoken French.

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

  1. Les voleurs dépouillèrent la maison pendant que la famille était en vacances.
    (The thieves stripped the house while the family was on vacation.)

  2. Le typhon dépouilla les arbres de leurs feuilles.
    (The typhoon stripped the trees of their leaves.)

  3. Le dictateur dépouilla le peuple de ses droits fondamentaux.
    (The dictator divested the people of their fundamental rights.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in everyday spoken French and is mostly found in written literature or formal contexts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dépouillai Je dépouillai le document. I stripped the document.
Tu dépouillas Tu dépouillas la maison. You stripped the house.
Il dépouilla Il dépouilla la victime. He stripped the victim.
Elle dépouilla Elle dépouilla le trésor. She stripped the treasure.
On dépouilla On dépouilla le voleur. One stripped the thief.
Nous dépouillâmes Nous dépouillâmes l’arbre. We stripped the tree.
Vous dépouillâtes Vous dépouillâtes l’entreprise. You stripped the company.
Ils dépouillèrent Ils dépouillèrent la voiture. They stripped the car.
Elles dépouillèrent Elles dépouillèrent la boutique. They (feminine) stripped the shop.

Other Conjugations for Dépouiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépouiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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