Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décamper

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décamper

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The English translation of the French verb décamper is “to take off” or “to clear out.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form décamper is [de.kɑ̃.pe].

Décamper is derived from the Latin word “decampare,” which means “to break camp” or “to depart.” It is often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to express a past action that was ongoing or repeated. This tense is used to describe habits, ongoing actions, or the background of a story.

Here are three examples of décamper used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque fois qu’il me voyait, il décampait.
    (Every time he saw me, he would take off.)
  2. Nous décampions de la plage avant la tombée de la nuit.
    (We used to clear out from the beach before nightfall.)
  3. Ils décampaient dès qu’ils entendaient du bruit.
    (They would clear out as soon as they heard a noise.)

In these examples, décampait expresses past actions that were habitually or repeatedly taking place, indicating a continuous or ongoing behavior.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décamper

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décampais Je décampais rapidement. I was leaving quickly.
tu décampais Tu décampais sans dire au revoir. You were leaving without saying goodbye.
il décampait Il décampait la nuit. He was leaving at night.
elle décampait Elle décampait discrètement. She was leaving discreetly.
on décampait On décampait en douce. We were leaving secretly.
nous décampions Nous décampions tous ensemble. We were all leaving together.
vous décampiez Vous décampiez en silence. You were leaving silently.
ils décampaient Ils décampaient en courant. They were leaving running.
elles décampaient Elles décampaient en riant. They were leaving laughing.

Other Conjugations for Décamper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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