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

Introduction to the verb dessiller

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The English translation of the French verb “dessiller” is “to remove the scales from one’s eyes” or “to open one’s eyes.” The infinitive form “dessiller” is pronounced as “deh-see-yay.”

The verb “dessiller” comes from the Old French word “desillier,” which means “to remove scales.” It is derived from the Latin word “desquama,” which means “to remove scales or shells.” In everyday French, “dessiller” is often used figuratively to mean “to become aware of something,” “to see the truth,” or “to have a revelation.”

In the Passé Simple tense, “dessiller” is conjugated as follows:

  • Je dessillai (I removed the scales/opened my eyes)
  • Tu dessillas (You removed the scales/opened your eyes)
  • Il/Elle/On dessilla (He/She/One removed the scales/opened his/her/one’s eyes)
  • Nous dessillâmes (We removed the scales/opened our eyes)
  • Vous dessillâtes (You removed the scales/opened your eyes)
  • Ils/Elles dessillèrent (They removed the scales/opened their eyes)

Examples of “dessiller” in the Passé Simple tense:

  1. Je dessillai mes yeux et compris enfin la vérité.
    (I removed the scales from my eyes and finally understood the truth.)

  2. Tu dessillas tes yeux devant cette révélation choquante.
    (You opened your eyes in front of this shocking revelation.)

  3. Il dessilla son esprit et se rendit compte de son erreur.
    (He opened his mind and realized his mistake.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dessillai Je dessillai mes yeux. I opened my eyes.
Tu dessillas Tu dessillas la porte. You opened the door.
Il dessilla Il dessilla son esprit. He opened his mind.
Elle dessilla Elle dessilla les rideaux. She opened the curtains.
On dessilla On dessilla la vérité. One opened the truth.
Nous dessillâmes Nous dessillâmes nos illusions. We opened our eyes to the truth.
Vous dessillâtes Vous dessillâtes les esprits. You opened the minds.
Ils dessillèrent Ils dessillèrent les yeux. They opened their eyes.
Elles dessillèrent Elles dessillèrent les fenêtres. They (feminine) opened the windows.

Other Conjugations for Dessiller.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dessiller – 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.

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