Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débarquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débarquer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of débarquer. 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 débarquer is “to disembark” or “to unload.” The infinitive form “débarquer” is pronounced as “day-bar-kay.”

Débarquer comes from the French words “de” (meaning “from” or “of”) and “barque” (meaning “boat”). It originally referred to the action of unloading goods from a boat. Today, it is most commonly used to express the action of disembarking from a mode of transportation or unloading items.

In everyday French in the imparfait tense, débarquer is used to describe past habitual actions, ongoing actions, or background information. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque été, nous débarquions à la plage pour profiter du soleil.
    (Every summer, we would disembark at the beach to enjoy the sun.)

  2. Pendant la guerre, les soldats débarquaient en masse pour rejoindre le front.
    (During the war, the soldiers were disembarking in large numbers to join the front.)

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, nous débarquions souvent à la gare de Paris pour rendre visite à ma grand-mère.
    (When I was a child, we would often disembark at the Paris train station to visit my grandmother.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of débarquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débarquais Je débarquais du bateau. I was disembarking from the boat.
tu débarquais Tu débarquais avec moi. You were disembarking with me.
il débarquait Il débarquait en silence. He was disembarking silently.
elle débarquait Elle débarquait rapidement. She was disembarking quickly.
on débarquait On débarquait ensemble. We were disembarking together.
nous débarquions Nous débarquions tôt le matin. We were disembarking early in the morning.
vous débarquiez Vous débarquiez avec précaution. You were disembarking cautiously.
ils débarquaient Ils débarquaient en groupe. They were disembarking in a group.
elles débarquaient Elles débarquaient lentement. They were disembarking slowly.

Other Conjugations for Débarquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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