Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débalourder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débalourder

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of débalourder. 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 débalourder is “to tidy up” or “to straighten up.” The infinitive form, débalourder, is pronounced as “day-ba-loor-deh.”

Débalourder is derived from the word “balourd,” which means clumsy or awkward in French. It is often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or habitual action in the past. The imparfait tense is commonly used to set the scene, describe background information, or talk about past habits or repeated actions.

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

  1. Je débalourdais ma chambre tous les jours. (I used to tidy up my room every day.)
  2. Les enfants débalourdaient leurs jouets après avoir fini de jouer. (The children would tidy up their toys after finishing playing.)
  3. Nous débalourdions la cuisine pendant que maman préparait le dîner. (We were tidying up the kitchen while Mom was preparing dinner.)

Note: It’s important to mention that débalourder is not a commonly used verb in everyday French. It is more informal or colloquial and might not be found in standard dictionaries.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of débalourder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débalourdais Je débalourdais mes affaires. I was clumsily handling my things.
tu débalourdais Tu débalourdais tes mots. You were stumbling over your words.
il débalourdait Il débalourdait sa démarche. He was walking clumsily.
elle débalourdait Elle débalourdait ses gestes. She was making clumsy movements.
on débalourdait On débalourdait les objets. We were clumsily handling the objects.
nous débalourdions Nous débalourdions nos actions. We were clumsily performing our actions.
vous débalourdiez Vous débalourdiez votre travail. You were clumsily doing your work.
ils débalourdaient Ils débalourdaient tout sur leur passage. They were clumsily knocking everything over.
elles débalourdaient Elles débalourdaient les cartons. They were clumsily unpacking the boxes.

Other Conjugations for Débalourder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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