Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déboucher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déboucher

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The English translation of the French verb “déboucher” is “to uncork” or “to unblock”. The infinitive form of “déboucher” is pronounced as “dey-boo-shay”.

The word “déboucher” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “un-” or “dis-“) and the verb “boucher” (meaning “to cork” or “to block”). It is commonly used in everyday French to refer to the action of removing a cork or unclogging something.

Here are three examples of the usage of “déboucher” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, je débouchais une bouteille de vin. (Every evening, I would uncork a bottle of wine.)
  2. Nous débouchions régulièrement les canalisations de la salle de bain. (We used to unblock the bathroom pipes regularly.)
  3. Pendant l’été, les plombiers débouchaient souvent les toilettes. (During the summer, the plumbers would often unclog the toilets.)

These examples illustrate the past habitual actions in the imparfait tense using “déboucher” to express the recurring action of uncorking or unblocking.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déboucher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débouchais Je débouchais la bouteille. I was uncorking the bottle.
tu débouchais Tu débouchais le lavabo. You were unclogging the sink.
il débouchait Il débouchait la canalisation. He was unclogging the pipe.
elle débouchait Elle débouchait la bouteille de vin. She was uncorking the bottle of wine.
on débouchait On débouchait les égouts. We were unclogging the sewer.
nous débouchions Nous débouchions les bouteilles. We were uncorking the bottles.
vous débouchiez Vous débouchiez le tube. You were unclogging the tube.
ils débouchaient Ils débouchaient les canalisations. They were unclogging the pipes.
elles débouchaient Elles débouchaient les bouteilles. They were uncorking the bottles.

Other Conjugations for Déboucher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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