Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâillonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débâillonner

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The English translation of the French verb débâillonner is “to remove the gag.” The infinitive form of débâillonner is pronounced as “deh-bah-yon-ay.”

Débâillonner is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “remove” or “un-“) and the noun “bâillon” (meaning “gag” or “muzzle”). It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe the ongoing or repeated action of removing a gag.

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

  1. Chaque soir, il débâillonnait les otages pour qu’ils puissent parler librement. (Every evening, he would remove the gags from the hostages so that they could speak freely.)

  2. Nous débâillions le prisonnier tous les matins pour l’interroger. (We used to remove the prisoner’s gag every morning to interrogate him.)

  3. Mes parents débâillonnaient ma petite sœur dès qu’elle se mettait à pleurer. (My parents would remove my little sister’s gag as soon as she started crying.)

Note: Please keep in mind that the usage of débâillonner in everyday French may vary depending on the context and individual preferences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of débâillonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débâillonnais Je débâillonnais le prisonnier. I was untying the prisoner’s gag.
tu débâillonnais Tu débâillonnais le chien. You were removing the dog’s muzzle.
il débâillonnait Il débâillonnait la victime. He was untying the victim’s gag.
elle débâillonnait Elle débâillonnait le bébé. She was untying the baby’s gag.
on débâillonnait On débâillonnait les otages. We were untying the hostages’ gags.
nous débâillions Nous débâillions les prisonniers. We were untying the prisoners’ gags.
vous débâillonniez Vous débâillonniez les patients. You were untying the patients’ gags.
ils débâillonnaient Ils débâillonnaient les témoins. They were untying the witnesses’ gags.
elles débâillonnaient Elles débâillonnaient les gens. They were untying people’s gags.

Other Conjugations for Débâillonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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