Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb daigner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb daigner

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The English translation of the French verb “daigner” is “to deign.” The infinitive form of “daigner” is pronounced as “den-yay.”

The word “daigner” originates from the Old French term “deignier,” which means “to consider worthy.” It is derived from the Latin word “dignari,” which has a similar meaning. In everyday French, “daigner” is most often used in the imparfait tense to express a condescending or reluctant action.

Here are three simple examples of “daigner” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il ne daignait jamais me répondre lorsqu’il était contrarié.
    English: He would never deign to respond to me when he was upset.

  2. Elle ne daignait même pas lever les yeux quand je lui parlais.
    English: She wouldn’t even deign to look up when I spoke to her.

  3. Ils ne daignaient pas nous inviter à leurs réunions secrètes.
    English: They wouldn’t deign to invite us to their secret meetings.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of daigner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je daignais Je ne daignais pas répondre. I did not deign to answer.
tu daignais Tu ne daignais jamais m’aider. You never deigned to help me.
il daignait Il daignait me parler. He deigned to talk to me.
elle daignait Elle daignait me regarder. She deigned to look at me.
on daignait On ne daignait pas m’inviter. They did not deign to invite me.
nous daignions Nous daignions l’écouter. We deigned to listen to him/her.
vous daigniez Vous ne daigniez pas répondre au téléphone. You did not deign to answer the phone.
ils daignaient Ils ne daignaient jamais nous aider. They never deigned to help us.
elles daignaient Elles daignaient me rendre visite. They deigned to visit me.

Other Conjugations for Daigner.

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

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb daigner (You’re reading it right now!)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Daigner – About the French Imparfait Tense

The French imparfait tense, often called the imperfect tense in English, is used to describe actions or states in the past. It’s primarily used to provide background information, set the scene, or describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

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

To form the imparfait tense in French, you typically take the present tense nous form of the verb, drop the -ons ending, and add specific endings based on the verb group (regular -er, -ir, -re verbs) or use irregular forms for certain verbs.  

For regular -er verbs:

Take the infinitive form (e.g., parler, finir, rendre) Remove the -er ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient 

For regular -ir verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., choisir, grandir, finir) Remove the -ir ending Add the imparfait endings: -issais, -issais, -issait, -issions, -issiez, -issaient 

For regular -re verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., vendre, attendre, entendre) Remove the -re ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Description of Past Habits

The imparfait is often used to describe habitual actions or situations in the past. For example: “Quand j’étais enfant, je jouais au football tous les jours.” (When I was a child, I used to play football every day.) 

Background Information

It’s used to provide background information or set the stage for a main event in the past. For instance: “Il faisait beau ce jour-là.” (The weather was nice that day.) 

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

The imparfait describes actions that were in progress or happening when something else occurred in the past. For instance: “Je lisais un livre quand le téléphone a sonné.” (I was reading a book when the phone rang.)

Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense

Passé Composé vs. Imparfait

The imparfait and passé composé (a compound past tense) are often used together to express the completion of an action in the past (passé composé) and provide context or background (imparfait). For example: “Il regardait la télévision quand son ami est arrivé.” (He was watching TV when his friend arrived.) 

Conditional

The imparfait is used as the base for forming the conditional mood in French. For instance, “Je mangerais” (I would eat) is formed from “je mangeais” (I was eating). 

Si Clauses

In hypothetical or “if” clauses (si clauses), the imparfait is often used to express a condition in the past. For example: “Si j’avais de l’argent, j’achèterais une nouvelle voiture.” (If I had money, I would buy a new car.) 

Narration

In storytelling or writing, the imparfait is frequently used to set the scene and describe ongoing actions while the passé composé is used for specific events or actions that interrupted the ongoing ones.
Understanding the French imperfect tense is crucial for effective communication in French. Without it, your conversations will always live in the present!

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb daigner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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