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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dracher

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The English translation of the French verb “dracher” is “to pour down” or “to rain heavily.” The infinitive form “dracher” is pronounced as [dra-ʃe].

The origin of the word “dracher” can be traced back to the medieval French word “drace” which meant a heavy shower or downpour. In everyday French, “dracher” is most commonly used in the Passé Simple tense (Simple Past), which is primarily found in written literature, historical contexts, or formal writing.

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

  1. Il dracha toute la nuit. (He poured down all night.)
  2. Hier, il dracha des cordes. (Yesterday, it rained heavily.)
  3. Quand nous sommes sortis, il dracha depuis une heure déjà. (When we went out, it had been pouring for an hour already.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken language, and it is more common to use the Passé Composé (Present Perfect) tense to talk about past events in everyday conversation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je drachai Je drachai toute la journée. I poured rain all day.
Tu drachas Tu drachas sur le chemin. You poured rain on the road.
Il dracha Il dracha dans la soirée. He poured rain in the evening.
Elle dracha Elle dracha sur les plantes. She poured rain on the plants.
On dracha On dracha pendant des heures. One poured rain for hours.
Nous drachâmes Nous drachâmes toute la nuit. We poured rain all night.
Vous drachâtes Vous drachâtes sur le toit. You poured rain on the roof.
Ils drachèrent Ils drachèrent sur le jardin. They poured rain on the garden.
Elles drachèrent Elles drachèrent sur la route. They (feminine) poured rain on the road.

Other Conjugations for Dracher.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dracher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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