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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb draper

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The English translation of the French verb “draper” is “to drape” or “to hang.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “draper” is [dra-peh].

The verb “draper” comes from the Old French word “drape,” which means “cloth” or “tapestry.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary form of the past tense.

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

  1. Il drapa le tissu sur le mur.
    (He draped the fabric on the wall.)

  2. Elle drapa le drapeau sur le monument.
    (She draped the flag on the monument.)

  3. Ils drapèrent les rideaux autour des piliers.
    (They draped the curtains around the pillars.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je drapai Je drapai le lit. I draped the bed.
Tu drapas Tu drapas la table. You draped the table.
Il drapa Il drapa les rideaux. He draped the curtains.
Elle drapa Elle drapa le canapé. She draped the sofa.
On drapa On drapa le mur. One draped the wall.
Nous drapâmes Nous drapâmes le corps. We draped the body.
Vous drapâtes Vous drapâtes le vase. You draped the vase.
Ils drapèrent Ils drapèrent le plafond. They draped the ceiling.
Elles drapèrent Elles drapèrent les chaises. They (feminine) draped the chairs.

Other Conjugations for Draper.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb draper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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