Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débiter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débiter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of débiter. 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 débiter is “to debit” or “to cut.” The infinitive form débiter is pronounced as “day-bee-teh.”

Débiter originates from the Latin word “debitare,” meaning “to owe.” In everyday French, débiter is primarily used to refer to the action of cutting or slicing something, such as food or objects. It can also be used in the financial context to mean debiting an account.

Examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais petit, ma mère me débitait toujours une pomme en tranches.
    (When I was young, my mother would always cut an apple into slices for me.)

  2. Chaque matin, le boulanger débitait du pain frais pour ses clients.
    (Every morning, the baker would slice fresh bread for his customers.)

  3. Pendant les vacances, nous débitions du bois pour alimenter le feu.
    (During the holidays, we would cut firewood to fuel the fire.)

English translations:

  1. When I was young, my mother would always slice an apple for me.
  2. Every morning, the baker would cut fresh bread for his customers.
  3. During the holidays, we would cut firewood to fuel the fire.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of débiter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débitais Je débitais du bois. I was cutting wood.
tu débitais Tu débitais les factures. You were processing the invoices.
il débitait Il débitait de l’argent. He was withdrawing money.
elle débitait Elle débitait du texte. She was typing.
on débitait On débitait les produits. We were selling the products.
nous débitions Nous débitions les chansons. We were singing the songs.
vous débitiez Vous débitiez des informations. You were providing information.
ils débitaient Ils débitaient le discours. They were delivering the speech.
elles débitaient Elles débitaient les cartes. They were dealing the cards.

Other Conjugations for Débiter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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