Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâcher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débâcher

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of débâcher. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb débâcher is “to uncover” or “to remove the tarpaulin.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form débâcher is [deh-bah-shay].

Débâcher comes from the combination of the prefix dé- (indicating an action of undoing or removing) and the word bâche (meaning tarpaulin or cover). It is most commonly used in every day French as a reflexive verb in the imparfait tense to describe the action of removing a cover or tarpaulin from something.

Here are three simple examples of débâcher in the imparfait tense and their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, je débâchais la voiture avant de partir au travail.
    (Every morning, I used to uncover the car before going to work.)

  2. Pendant l’été, nous débâchions la piscine tous les jours pour pouvoir en profiter.
    (During summer, we would uncover the pool every day to be able to enjoy it.)

  3. Mon père débâchait toujours le bateau avant de le mettre à l’eau.
    (My father would always remove the tarpaulin from the boat before putting it in the water.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of débâcher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débâchais Je débâchais la voiture. I was uncovering the car.
tu débâchais Tu débâchais les meubles. You were uncovering the furniture.
il débâchait Il débâchait les marchandises. He was uncovering the goods.
elle débâchait Elle débâchait le camion. She was uncovering the truck.
on débâchait On débâchait les matériaux. We were uncovering the materials.
nous débâchions Nous débâchions la remorque. We were uncovering the trailer.
vous débâchiez Vous débâchiez le toit. You were uncovering the roof.
ils débâchaient Ils débâchaient les bateaux. They were uncovering the boats.
elles débâchaient Elles débâchaient les piscines. They were uncovering the pools.

Other Conjugations for Débâcher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the débâcher imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply