Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décauser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décauser

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The English translation of the French verb “décauser” is “to gossip.” The infinitive form of “décauser” is pronounced as “day-koh-zay.”

“Décauser” is a compound verb derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” which signifies the undoing or reversal of an action, and the verb “causer” which means “to talk” or “to chat.” The prefix “dé-” adds a sense of negative or harmful connotation to the verb, implying that décauser refers to talking in a negative or gossiping manner.

In everyday French, décauser is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe a habitual or ongoing action in the past. It is often used to convey the idea of engaging in gossip, spreading rumors, or engaging in idle talk.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:

  1. Je décausais tous les jours avec mes collègues.
    (I used to gossip every day with my colleagues.)

  2. Quand j’étais jeune, nous décausions beaucoup dans le quartier.
    (When I was young, we used to gossip a lot in the neighborhood.)

  3. Ils décausaient constamment sur les célébrités.
    (They were constantly gossiping about celebrities.)

Please note that while “décauser” is a recognized verb, it is not as commonly used as other synonyms for “to gossip” such as “commérer” or “médire.”

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décauser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décausais Je décausais avec mes amis. I was chatting with my friends.
tu décausais Tu décausais beaucoup. You were talking a lot.
il décausait Il décausait sans cesse. He was talking incessantly.
elle décausait Elle décausait avec enthousiasme. She was chatting enthusiastically.
on décausait On décausait toute la nuit. We were talking all night.
nous décausions Nous décausions tranquillement. We were chatting peacefully.
vous décausiez Vous décausiez poliment. You were talking politely.
ils décausaient Ils décausaient en riant. They were talking while laughing.
elles décausaient Elles décausaient joyeusement. They were chatting joyfully.

Other Conjugations for Décauser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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