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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépriser

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The English translation of the French verb dépriser is “to despise” or “to look down on.” The infinitive form, dépriser, is pronounced as “day-pree-zay.”

Dépriser is derived from the Old French word “desprisier,” which comes from the Latin word “desprōvisiāre,” meaning “to undervalue” or “to disregard.” In modern everyday French, dépriser is used to express a feeling of contempt, scorn, or disdain towards someone or something.

In the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense, dépriser is conjugated as follows:

  • Je déprisai (I despised)
  • Tu déprisas (You despised)
  • Il/elle déprisa (He/she despised)
  • Nous déprisâmes (We despised)
  • Vous déprisâtes (You despised)
  • Ils/elles déprisèrent (They despised)

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

  1. Elle déprisa ses collègues pour leur manque de professionnalisme.
    (She despised her colleagues for their lack of professionalism.)

  2. Nous déprisâmes cette série télévisée après avoir vu les premiers épisodes.
    (We despised that TV series after watching the first episodes.)

  3. Ils déprisèrent les idées nouvelles sans même les considérer.
    (They looked down on the new ideas without even considering them.)

Note: The Passé Simple tense is primarily used in written French, particularly in literature, formal writing, or historical contexts. In spoken language and everyday conversation, the Passé Composé or other compound tenses are more commonly used to express past actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je déprisai J’ai déprisai le film. I devalued the movie.
Tu déprisas Tu déprisas la maison. You devalued the house.
Il déprisa Il déprisa la voiture. He devalued the car.
Elle déprisa Elle déprisa le bijou. She devalued the jewel.
On déprisa On déprisa le marché. One devalued the market.
Nous déprisâmes Nous déprisâmes l’entreprise. We devalued the company.
Vous déprisâtes Vous déprisâtes l’œuvre. You devalued the work.
Ils déprisèrent Ils déprisèrent les actions. They devalued the stocks.
Elles déprisèrent Elles déprisèrent la propriété. They (feminine) devalued the property.

Other Conjugations for Dépriser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépriser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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