Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décéder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décéder

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of décéder. 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 “décéder” is “to die”. The infinitive form “décéder” is pronounced as “deh-seh-deh”.

The verb “décéder” in French is derived from the Latin word “decessere” which means “to depart” or “to die”. It is part of the first conjugation of French verbs (-er verbs). In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe past actions or states of being. The imparfait tense is used to talk about ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Mon grand-père décédait paisiblement dans son sommeil tous les soirs. (My grandfather used to peacefully pass away in his sleep every night.)
  2. Les animaux décédaient souvent pendant les hivers rigoureux. (The animals would often die during harsh winters.)
  3. Nous avions peur que notre vieille chienne décède d’une maladie grave. (We were afraid that our old dog would die from a serious illness.)

Note: The imparfait tense is often used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past and does not have a direct equivalent in English. Therefore, the translations provided attempt to capture the meaning and context of the imparfait tense but may not correspond exactly word for word.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décéder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décédais Je décédais chaque jour. I was dying every day.
tu décédais Tu décédais de tristesse. You were dying of sadness.
il décédait Il décédait lentement. He was dying slowly.
elle décédait Elle décédait paisiblement. She was dying peacefully.
on décédait On décédait en silence. We were dying in silence.
nous décédions Nous décédions les uns après les autres. We were dying one after another.
vous décédiez Vous décédiez en paix. You were dying in peace.
ils décédaient Ils décédaient ensemble. They were dying together.
elles décédaient Elles décédaient courageusement. They were dying bravely.

Other Conjugations for Décéder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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