Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débanquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débanquer

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The English translation of the French verb “débanquer” is “to go bankrupt” or “to become bankrupt.” The infinitive form of “débanquer” is pronounced as dey-bah(n)-keh.

The word “débanquer” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” meaning “to undo” or “to reverse” and the verb “banquer,” which means “to bank” or “to undertake financial transactions.” In everyday French, “débanquer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated bankruptcy situations in the past.

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

  1. Chaque année, l’entreprise se débanquait à cause de mauvaises décisions de gestion.
    (Each year, the company would go bankrupt due to poor management decisions.)

  2. Quand j’étais jeune, mon père se débanquait régulièrement à cause de son addiction aux jeux.
    (When I was young, my father would frequently become bankrupt due to his gambling addiction.)

  3. Pendant la crise économique, de nombreuses petites entreprises se débanquaient les unes après les autres.
    (During the economic crisis, many small businesses were going bankrupt one after another.)

Please note that these translations are simplified and may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of débanquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débanquais Je débanquais chaque jour. I used to unbank every day.
tu débanquais Tu débanquais souvent. You used to unbank often.
il débanquait Il débanquait ses amis. He used to unbank his friends.
elle débanquait Elle débanquait son partenaire. She used to unbank her partner.
on débanquait On débanquait en silence. We used to unbank in silence.
nous débanquions Nous débanquions ensemble. We used to unbank together.
vous débanquiez Vous débanquiez rapidement. You used to unbank quickly.
ils débanquaient Ils débanquaient tous les jours. They used to unbank every day.
elles débanquaient Elles débanquaient en secret. They used to unbank in secret.

Other Conjugations for Débanquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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