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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dessécher

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The English translation of the French verb “dessécher” is “to dry out” or “to dehydrate.” The infinitive form “dessécher” is pronounced as “deh-seh-sheh.”

The word “dessécher” originates from the Latin word “siccare,” which means “to dry.” It is primarily used in everyday French to describe the action of drying something out or causing it to lose moisture. In the Passé Simple tense, which is mostly used in written French, the verb “dessécher” is conjugated as follows:

  • J’asséchai: I dried out
  • Tu asséchas: You dried out
  • Il/elle/on assécha: He/she/one dried out
  • Nous asséchâmes: We dried out
  • Vous asséchâtes: You dried out
  • Ils/elles asséchèrent: They dried out

Here are three examples of “dessécher” in the Passé Simple tense with their English translations:

  1. Le soleil assécha les vêtements sur la corde à linge. (The sun dried out the clothes on the clothesline.)
  2. La sécheresse assécha les terres agricoles, causant une pénurie de nourriture. (The drought dried out the farmlands, causing a food shortage.)
  3. Les vents chauds du désert asséchèrent rapidement mes lèvres. (The hot desert winds quickly dehydrated my lips.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je desséchai Je desséchai les fleurs. I dried up the flowers.
Tu desséchas Tu desséchas le sol. You dried up the soil.
Il dessécha Il dessécha les plantes. He dried up the plants.
Elle dessécha Elle dessécha la rivière. She dried up the river.
On dessécha On dessécha le lac. One dried up the lake.
Nous desséchâmes Nous desséchâmes la terre. We dried up the land.
Vous desséchâtes Vous desséchâtes les feuilles. You dried up the leaves.
Ils desséchèrent Ils desséchèrent les sources. They dried up the springs.
Elles desséchèrent Elles desséchèrent la végétation. They (feminine) dried up the vegetation.

Other Conjugations for Dessécher.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessécher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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