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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb desserrer

Get the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense conjugation of desserrer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “desserrer” is “to loosen” or “to loosen up”. The infinitive form “desserrer” is pronounced as /de-se-ʁe/.

The verb “desserrer” originates from the combination of the prefix “des-” meaning “to remove” and the verb “serrer” meaning “to tighten”. In everyday French, “desserrer” is commonly used to express the action of loosening or making something less tight. It can refer to physical objects, such as loosening a screw or a grip, as well as metaphorical situations, like releasing tension or pressure.

In the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), “desserrer” is less commonly used in everyday spoken French, as it is mainly employed in formal or literary contexts. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Elle desserra sa ceinture après un long vol. (She loosened her belt after a long flight.)
  2. Ils desserrèrent leur étreinte et se séparèrent. (They loosened their embrace and parted.)
  3. Le mécanicien desserra les boulons pour réparer la voiture. (The mechanic loosened the bolts to repair the car.)

English Translations:

  1. She loosened her belt after a long flight.
  2. They loosened their embrace and parted.
  3. The mechanic loosened the bolts to repair the car.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je desserrai Je desserrai la vis. I loosened the screw.
Tu desserras Tu desserras le nœud. You loosened the knot.
Il desserra Il desserra la ceinture. He loosened his belt.
Elle desserra Elle desserra l’étau. She loosened the clamp.
On desserra On desserra les écrous. One loosened the nuts.
Nous desserrâmes Nous desserrâmes les freins. We loosened the brakes.
Vous desserrâtes Vous desserrâtes les vis. You loosened the screws.
Ils desserrèrent Ils desserrèrent les boulons. They loosened the bolts.
Elles desserrèrent Elles desserrèrent les poignées. They (feminine) loosened the handles.

Other Conjugations for Desserrer.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb desserrer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the desserrer Passé Simple tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply