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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dresser

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The English translation of the French verb “dresser” is “to train” or “to set up.” The infinitive form of “dresser” is pronounced as “dres-say.”

The verb “dresser” comes from the Old French word “drecier,” which means “to straighten” or “to direct.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Passé Simple tense, which is the literary form of the past tense used to express completed actions in the past.

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

  1. J’adressai une lettre à mon professeur. (I addressed a letter to my teacher.)
  2. Il dressa son chien pour obéir aux commandes. (He trained his dog to obey commands.)
  3. Elle dressa une table pour le dîner. (She set up a table for dinner.)

In these examples, “dresser” is used to convey actions that were completed in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je dressai J’ai dressé la table. I set the table.
Tu dressas Tu dressas le chien. You trained the dog.
Il dressa Il dressa son cheval. He trained his horse.
Elle dressa Elle dressa sa voix. She trained her voice.
On dressa On dressa une barricade. One set up a barricade.
Nous dressâmes Nous dressâmes la tente. We set up the tent.
Vous dressâtes Vous dressâtes le dossier. You prepared the file.
Ils dressèrent Ils dressèrent l’arbre. They trained the tree.
Elles dressèrent Elles dressèrent la table. They (feminine) set the table.

Other Conjugations for Dresser.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dresser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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