Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décapiter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décapiter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of décapiter. 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 “décapiter” is “to decapitate.” The infinitive form “décapiter” is pronounced as “deh-ka-pee-teh.”

“Décapiter” comes from the Latin word “decapitare,” which means “to decapitate” or “to behead.” It entered the French language in the 14th century with the same meaning. It is most often used in French to refer to the act of cutting off someone’s head.

In the imparfait tense (imperfect tense), “décapiter” is used to describe a past ongoing action or state. It is commonly used to talk about historical events, stories, or hypothetical situations in the past.

Here are three examples of “décapiter” used in the imparfait tense:

  1. Pendant la Révolution française, on décapitait les nobles.
    (During the French Revolution, they were beheading the nobles.)

  2. Il y a longtemps, les guillotines décapitaient les condamnés à mort.
    (Long ago, the guillotines used to decapitate the condemned to death.)

  3. Si j’étais un roi cruel, je décapiterais mes ennemis.
    (If I were a cruel king, I would decapitate my enemies.)

English translations:

  1. During the French Revolution, they were beheading the nobles.
  2. Long ago, the guillotines used to decapitate the condemned to death.
  3. If I were a cruel king, I would decapitate my enemies.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décapiter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décapitais Je décapitais les poulets. I was beheading the chickens.
tu décapitais Tu décapitais les prisonniers. You were beheading the prisoners.
il décapitait Il décapitait ses ennemis. He was beheading his enemies.
elle décapitait Elle décapitait les traîtres. She was beheading the traitors.
on décapitait On décapitait les condamnés. We were beheading the condemned.
nous décapitions Nous décapitions les animaux de chasse. We were beheading the game animals.
vous décapitiez Vous décapitiez les statues. You were beheading the statues.
ils décapitaient Ils décapitaient leurs adversaires. They were beheading their opponents.
elles décapitaient Elles décapitaient les monstres. They were beheading the monsters.

Other Conjugations for Décapiter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the décapiter imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply