Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déclarer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déclarer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déclarer. 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 “déclarer” is “to declare.” The infinitive form “déclarer” is pronounced as “dey-kla-ray.”

The verb “déclarer” originates from the Latin word “declarare,” which means “to declare” or “to make known.” In everyday French, “déclarer” is commonly used to express actions related to making an official statement, expressing an opinion, or stating something.

Examples of “déclarer” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je déclarais mes revenus chaque année.
    (I used to declare my income every year.)

  2. Tu déclarais ton amour pour elle à chaque occasion.
    (You used to declare your love for her on every occasion.)

  3. Nous déclarions notre soutien aux manifestants.
    (We used to declare our support for the protesters.)

Please note that the translations provided are in the simple past tense to match the imparfait tense in French.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déclarer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déclarais Je déclarais mes revenus. I was declaring my income.
tu déclarais Tu déclarais tes sentiments. You were expressing your feelings.
il déclarait Il déclarait la guerre. He was declaring war.
elle déclarait Elle déclarait son amour. She was declaring her love.
on déclarait On déclarait une victoire. We were declaring a victory.
nous déclarions Nous déclarions nos intentions. We were declaring our intentions.
vous déclariez Vous déclariez vos impôts. You were declaring your taxes.
ils déclaraient Ils déclaraient un état d’urgence. They were declaring a state of emergency.
elles déclaraient Elles déclaraient leur indépendance. They were declaring their independence.

Other Conjugations for Déclarer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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