Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débecqueter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débecqueter

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The English translation of the French verb “débecqueter” is “to peck at” or “to nibble”. The infinitive form of “débecqueter” is pronounced as [de-be-ke-te].

The word “débecqueter” is derived from the combination of two root words: “dé-” (a prefix indicating a reversal or removal) and “becqueter” (meaning “to peck” or “to eat”). It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of birds pecking at or nibbling something.

In the imparfait tense, “débecqueter” is used to describe a past habitual action or a continuous action that took place in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque matin, les poules débecquetaient les graines dans la cour. (Every morning, the chickens were pecking at the seeds in the yard.)
  2. Quand j’étais enfant, je débecquetais toujours mes tartines avant de les manger. (When I was a child, I would always nibble on my toast before eating it.)
  3. Pendant la réunion, les pigeons débecquetaient les miettes de pain sur la table. (During the meeting, pigeons were nibbling on the breadcrumbs on the table.)

English translations:

  1. Every morning, the chickens were pecking at the seeds in the yard.
  2. When I was a child, I would always nibble on my toast before eating it.
  3. During the meeting, pigeons were nibbling on the breadcrumbs on the table.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of débecqueter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débecquetais Je débecquetais les grains de maïs. I was pecking at the corn kernels.
tu débecquetais Tu débecquetais les fruits. You were nibbling on the fruits.
il débecquetait Il débecquetait les légumes. He was pecking at the vegetables.
elle débecquetait Elle débecquetait les graines. She was pecking at the seeds.
on débecquetais On débecquetais les noix. We were nibbling on the nuts.
nous débecquetions Nous débecquetions les céréales. We were pecking at the cereals.
vous débecquetiez Vous débecquetiez les croquettes. You were nibbling on the cat food.
ils débecquetaient Ils débecquetaient les vers. They were pecking at the worms.
elles débecquetaient Elles débecquetaient les insectes. They were pecking at the insects.

Other Conjugations for Débecqueter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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