Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déchirer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déchirer

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The English translation of the French verb déchirer is “to tear.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “déchirer” is [deh-shee-reh].

Déchirer comes from the French word “chirer,” meaning “to tear,” with the prefix “de-” added to intensify the action. It is primarily used to describe the action of tearing or ripping something apart. In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to talk about past actions, ongoing habits, or to set the scene in a narrative.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je déchirais souvent mes vêtements en jouant dehors.
    (When I was a child, I would often tear my clothes while playing outside.)

  2. Elle déchirait les feuilles du cahier avec colère.
    (She would tear the sheets of the notebook angrily.)

  3. Le chien déchirait les sacs poubelles dans la rue tous les matins.
    (The dog used to tear open the garbage bags on the street every morning.)

These examples showcase the use of déchirer in the imparfait tense to express repeated or ongoing actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déchirer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déchirais Je déchirais la lettre. I was tearing the letter.
tu déchirais Tu déchirais le papier. You were tearing the paper.
il déchirait Il déchirait son pantalon. He was tearing his pants.
elle déchirait Elle déchirait la page. She was tearing the page.
on déchirait On déchirait les billets. We were tearing the tickets.
nous déchirions Nous déchirions les photos. We were tearing the photos.
vous déchiriez Vous déchiriez le document. You were tearing the document.
ils déchiraient Ils déchiraient les cartes. They were tearing the cards.
elles déchiraient Elles déchiraient les feuilles. They were tearing the sheets.

Other Conjugations for Déchirer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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