Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débusquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débusquer

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The English translation of the French verb débusquer is “to flush out” or “to dislodge.” The infinitive form of débusquer is pronounced as “day-buhs-kay.”

Débusquer originates from the Old French word “desbushier,” which means “to chase away from the bush.” In everyday French, débusquer is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three examples of débusquer used in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, nous débusquions les lapins de leur terrier. (Every morning, we used to flush out the rabbits from their burrows.)
  2. Quand j’étais jeune, je débusquais souvent des oiseaux dans le jardin. (When I was young, I would often dislodge birds in the garden.)
  3. Pendant l’été, les chasseurs débusquaient les gibiers dans la forêt. (During the summer, the hunters would flush out game in the forest.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of débusquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débusquais Je débusquais les animaux. I was flushing out the animals.
tu débusquais Tu débusquais les perdrix. You were flushing out the partridges.
il débusquait Il débusquait le renard. He was flushing out the fox.
elle débusquait Elle débusquait les lapins. She was flushing out the rabbits.
on débusquait On débusquait les biches. We were flushing out the does.
nous débusquions Nous débusquions les sangliers. We were flushing out the wild boars.
vous débusquiez Vous débusquiez les faisans. You were flushing out the pheasants.
ils débusquaient Ils débusquaient les lièvres. They were flushing out the hares.
elles débusquaient Elles débusquaient les oiseaux. They were flushing out the birds.

Other Conjugations for Débusquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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