Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débaucher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débaucher

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The English translation of the French verb débaucher is “to poach” or “to headhunt.” The infinitive form, débaucher, is pronounced as “day-boh-shay.”

Débaucher originates from the Old French word “desbauchier,” which meant to lead astray, to corrupt, or to debauch. Over time, its meaning evolved to convey the act of enticing someone away from their current position or employer, usually by offering better conditions or benefits.

In everyday French, débaucher in the imparfait tense is commonly used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It can refer to the act of headhunting employees, recruiting individuals away from their current job or occupation, or enticing someone to join a different company or organization.

Here are three examples of débaucher in the imparfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. Chaque année, mon employeur débauchait les meilleurs talents de notre concurrent.
    (Every year, my employer would poach the best talents from our competitor.)

  2. Quand j’étais directeur des ressources humaines, je débauchais souvent des jeunes diplômés pour notre entreprise.
    (When I was the HR director, I would often headhunt recent graduates for our company.)

  3. Nous étions en concurrence avec une grande entreprise qui essayait de débaucher nos ingénieurs les plus talentueux.
    (We were in competition with a large company that was trying to poach our most talented engineers.)

Please note that these translations are not literal and serve to convey the general meaning of débaucher in each context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of débaucher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débauchais Je débauchais à 18h. I used to finish work at 6pm.
tu débauchais Tu débauchais tard. You used to finish work late.
il débauchait Il débauchait les employés. He used to lay off employees.
elle débauchait Elle débauchait des talents. She used to poach talents.
on débauchait On débauchait souvent. We used to often leave work.
nous débauchions Nous débauchions ensemble. We used to leave work together.
vous débauchiez Vous débauchiez beaucoup de gens. You used to lay off a lot of people.
ils débauchaient Ils débauchaient des travailleurs. They used to lay off workers.
elles débauchaient Elles débauchaient les employés. They used to lay off employees.

Other Conjugations for Débaucher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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