Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décaver

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décaver

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of décaver. 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 “décaver” is “to be broke” or “to be penniless.” The infinitive form “décaver” is pronounced as “day-kah-vay.”

The verb “décaver” comes from the colloquial French language and does not have a specific language origin. It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to express a continuous state of being broke in the past. It is commonly used in casual conversations.

Here are three examples of “décaver” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais étudiant, je décavais tout le temps.
    (When I was a student, I was always broke.)

  2. Pendant mes années de chômage, je décavais régulièrement.
    (During my years of unemployment, I was regularly penniless.)

  3. Nous décavions chaque mois à cause des dépenses excessives.
    (We were broke every month because of excessive spending.)

Please note that “décaver” is an informal and colloquial verb primarily used in spoken French or informal writing.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décaver

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décavais Je décavais chaque soir. I used to get drunk every evening.
tu décavais Tu décavais tes amis. You used to get your friends drunk.
il décavait Il décavait rapidement. He used to get drunk quickly.
elle décavait Elle décavait souvent. She used to get drunk often.
on décavait On décavait en fêtant. We used to get drunk while partying.
nous décavions Nous décavions ensemble. We used to get drunk together.
vous décaviez Vous décaviez trop. You used to get drunk too much.
ils décavaient Ils décavaient sans modération. They used to get drunk without moderation.
elles décavaient Elles décavaient joyeusement. They used to get drunk cheerfully.

Other Conjugations for Décaver.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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