Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damasquiner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb damasquiner

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The English translation of the French verb “damasquiner” is “to damascene” or “to inlay.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “damasquiner” is [da.ma.ski.ne].

The word “damasquiner” is derived from the word “damasquin,” which means “damascene” in English. “Damasquin” comes from the Arabic word “damsak,” which refers to Damascus, the capital city of Syria. Damascus was famous for producing elaborately decorated metalwork, also known as damascening or damasquining. The verb “damasquiner” in French retains this meaning and refers to the act of inlaying or ornamenting metal objects.

In everyday French, the verb “damasquiner” is not used frequently in the imparfait tense. However, it can be used to describe a habitual action or to set the scene in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque jour, le forgeron damasquinait ses épées. (Every day, the blacksmith would damascene his swords.)
  2. Quand j’étais enfant, mon grand-père damasquinait des bijoux en argent. (When I was a child, my grandfather used to damascene silver jewelry.)
  3. Les artisans damasquinaient les armures pour les rendre plus belles. (The craftsmen would damascene armors to make them more beautiful.)

Please note that the verb “damasquiner” is not very commonly used in everyday French conversation, especially in the imparfait tense.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of damasquiner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je damasquinais Je damasquinais la lame. I was damascening the blade.
tu damasquinais Tu damasquinais les motifs. You were damascening the patterns.
il damasquinait Il damasquinait la poignée. He was damascening the handle.
elle damasquinait Elle damasquinait le fourreau. She was damascening the scabbard.
on damasquinait On damasquinait les armes. We were damascening the weapons.
nous damasquinions Nous damasquinions les bijoux. We were damascening the jewelry.
vous damasquiniez Vous damasquiniez les objets. You were damascening the objects.
ils damasquinaient Ils damasquinaient les épées. They were damascening the swords.
elles damasquinaient Elles damasquinaient les armures. They were damascening the armors.

Other Conjugations for Damasquiner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Damasquiner – 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 damasquiner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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