Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déborder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déborder

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The English translation of the French verb déborder is “to overflow” or “to overflow with”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form “déborder” is [deuh-bohr-deh].

The word “déborder” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” meaning “out” or “outside” and the verb “border” meaning “to border” or “to limit”. In everyday French, “déborder” is often used in the imparfait tense to describe situations or actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, ma chambre débordait de jouets.
    (When I was a child, my room was overflowing with toys.)

  2. Pendant les vacances, la plage débordait de touristes.
    (During the holidays, the beach was overflowing with tourists.)

  3. Autrefois, la ville débordait de vie et d’animation.
    (In the past, the city was overflowing with life and activity.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déborder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débordais Je débordais d’énergie. I was overflowing with energy.
tu débordais Tu débordais d’imagination. You were overflowing with imagination.
il débordait Il débordait de joie. He was overflowing with joy.
elle débordait Elle débordait de créativité. She was overflowing with creativity.
on débordait On débordait de travail. We were overflowing with work.
nous débordions Nous débordions de bonheur. We were overflowing with happiness.
vous débordiez Vous débordiez de confiance. You were overflowing with confidence.
ils débordaient Ils débordaient d’énergie. They were overflowing with energy.
elles débordaient Elles débordaient de passion. They were overflowing with passion.

Other Conjugations for Déborder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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