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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dérider

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The English translation of the French verb dérider is “to make someone smile” or “to cheer someone up.” The infinitive form of dérider is pronounced as “day-ree-day.”

Dérider is derived from the French words “dé-” meaning “un-” or “dis-” and “rire” meaning “to laugh.” In everyday French, dérider is most often used in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to talk about past actions or events that have been completed. However, it is important to note that the Passé Simple tense is mainly used in formal or written French, and in spoken French, the Passé Composé is generally preferred.

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

  1. Il dérida son ami en lui racontant une blague.
    (He made his friend smile by telling him a joke.)
  2. La surprise dérida le visage triste de sa mère.
    (The surprise cheered up his mother’s sad face.)
  3. Les enfants se déridèrent lorsqu’ils virent les clowns.
    (The children smiled when they saw the clowns.)

Please note that the usage of dérider in the Passé Simple tense is not as common in everyday conversation, but it is important to be familiar with this tense for reading and understanding formal French texts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je déridai J’ai déridai le visage. I smoothed out the face.
Tu déridas Tu déridas ton ami. You smoothed out your friend.
Il dérida Il dérida la situation. He smoothed out the situation.
Elle dérida Elle dérida son sourire. She smoothed out her smile.
On dérida On dérida l’atmosphère. One smoothed out the atmosphere.
Nous déridâmes Nous déridâmes les invités. We smoothed out the guests.
Vous déridâtes Vous déridâtes la conversation. You smoothed out the conversation.
Ils déridèrent Ils déridèrent leurs visages. They smoothed out their faces.
Elles déridèrent Elles déridèrent leurs cheveux. They (feminine) smoothed out their hair.

Other Conjugations for Dérider.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dérider

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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