Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Introduction to the verb dicter
The English translation of the French verb “dicter” is “to dictate.” The infinitive form of “dicter” is pronounced as “deek-teh.”
The word “dicter” has its roots in the Latin word “dictare,” which means “to dictate” or “to speak.” In everyday French, “dicter” is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or habitual action in the past.
Here are three simple examples of “dicter” used in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:
- Je dictais une lettre tous les matins. (I used to dictate a letter every morning.)
- Tu dictais souvent des poèmes pendant les réunions. (You used to dictate poems often during meetings.)
- Les professeurs dictaient les devoirs aux élèves. (The teachers used to dictate homework to the students.)
In these examples, “dicter” is used to express actions that were regularly or habitually performed in the past.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dicter
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | dictais | Je dictais une lettre. | I was dictating a letter. |
tu | dictais | Tu dictais des instructions. | You were dictating instructions. |
il | dictait | Il dictait un discours. | He was dictating a speech. |
elle | dictait | Elle dictait un rapport. | She was dictating a report. |
on | dictait | On dictait les règles. | We were dictating the rules. |
nous | dictons | Nous dictons les lois. | We were dictating the laws. |
vous | dictiez | Vous dictiez les consignes. | You were dictating the instructions. |
ils | dictaient | Ils dictaient les ordres. | They were dictating the orders. |
elles | dictaient | Elles dictaient les décisions. | They were dictating the decisions. |
Other Conjugations for Dicter.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dicter
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Dicter – About the French Imparfait Tense
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.
Formation of the Imparfait Tense
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
Mental and Emotional States
It’s employed to express emotions, thoughts, or physical sensations in the past. For example: “J’étais content quand il est arrivé.” (I was happy when he arrived.)
Ongoing Actions
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb dicter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!