Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Introduction to the verb décamper
The English translation of the French verb décamper is “to take off” or “to clear out.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form décamper is [de.kɑ̃.pe].
Décamper is derived from the Latin word “decampare,” which means “to break camp” or “to depart.” It is often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to express a past action that was ongoing or repeated. This tense is used to describe habits, ongoing actions, or the background of a story.
Here are three examples of décamper used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Chaque fois qu’il me voyait, il décampait.
(Every time he saw me, he would take off.) - Nous décampions de la plage avant la tombée de la nuit.
(We used to clear out from the beach before nightfall.) - Ils décampaient dès qu’ils entendaient du bruit.
(They would clear out as soon as they heard a noise.)
In these examples, décampait expresses past actions that were habitually or repeatedly taking place, indicating a continuous or ongoing behavior.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décamper
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | décampais | Je décampais rapidement. | I was leaving quickly. |
tu | décampais | Tu décampais sans dire au revoir. | You were leaving without saying goodbye. |
il | décampait | Il décampait la nuit. | He was leaving at night. |
elle | décampait | Elle décampait discrètement. | She was leaving discreetly. |
on | décampait | On décampait en douce. | We were leaving secretly. |
nous | décampions | Nous décampions tous ensemble. | We were all leaving together. |
vous | décampiez | Vous décampiez en silence. | You were leaving silently. |
ils | décampaient | Ils décampaient en courant. | They were leaving running. |
elles | décampaient | Elles décampaient en riant. | They were leaving laughing. |
Other Conjugations for Décamper.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper
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Décamper – 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 décamper. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!