Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débâter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débâter

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The English translation of the French verb “débâter” is “to debate” or “to argue.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “dey-bah-tey.”

The word “débâter” originated from the Old French verb “debattre,” which itself comes from the Latin word “battuere,” meaning “to beat” or “to fight.” In everyday French, “débâter” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “débâter” used in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Nous débattions souvent de politique.
    (We used to debate politics frequently.)

  2. Pendant des années, ils débâtaient sur cette question.
    (For years, they argued about this issue.)

  3. Tu débâtais toujours avec ton frère.
    (You were always arguing with your brother.)

These examples show the continuous or habitual nature of the action, emphasizing that debates or arguments were occurring repeatedly or over an extended period in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of débâter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débâtais Je débâtais avec lui. I was arguing with him.
tu débâtais Tu débâtais souvent. You were arguing often.
il débâtait Il débâtait avec son frère. He was arguing with his brother.
elle débâtait Elle débâtait pour défendre ses idées. She was arguing to defend her ideas.
on débâtait On débâtait de la politique. We were arguing about politics.
nous débâtions Nous débâtions longuement. We were arguing for a long time.
vous débâtiez Vous débâtiez avec passion. You were arguing passionately.
ils débâtaient Ils débâtaient sur des sujets controversés. They were arguing about controversial topics.
elles débâtaient Elles débâtaient sans fin. They were arguing endlessly.

Other Conjugations for Débâter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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