Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Introduction to the verb débâter
The English translation of the French verb “débâter” is “to debate” or “to argue.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “dey-bah-tey.”
The word “débâter” originated from the Old French verb “debattre,” which itself comes from the Latin word “battuere,” meaning “to beat” or “to fight.” In everyday French, “débâter” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.
Here are three examples of “débâter” used in the imparfait tense with their English translations:
-
Nous débattions souvent de politique.
(We used to debate politics frequently.) -
Pendant des années, ils débâtaient sur cette question.
(For years, they argued about this issue.) -
Tu débâtais toujours avec ton frère.
(You were always arguing with your brother.)
These examples show the continuous or habitual nature of the action, emphasizing that debates or arguments were occurring repeatedly or over an extended period in the past.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of débâter
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | débâtais | Je débâtais avec lui. | I was arguing with him. |
tu | débâtais | Tu débâtais souvent. | You were arguing often. |
il | débâtait | Il débâtait avec son frère. | He was arguing with his brother. |
elle | débâtait | Elle débâtait pour défendre ses idées. | She was arguing to defend her ideas. |
on | débâtait | On débâtait de la politique. | We were arguing about politics. |
nous | débâtions | Nous débâtions longuement. | We were arguing for a long time. |
vous | débâtiez | Vous débâtiez avec passion. | You were arguing passionately. |
ils | débâtaient | Ils débâtaient sur des sujets controversés. | They were arguing about controversial topics. |
elles | débâtaient | Elles débâtaient sans fin. | They were arguing endlessly. |
Other Conjugations for Débâter.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter
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Débâter – 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 débâter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!