Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décliner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décliner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of décliner. 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 décliner is “to decline” or “to turn down.” The infinitive form “décliner” is pronounced as day-klee-neh.

The verb décliner comes from the Latin word “declinare,” which means “to bend away” or “to turn aside.” In everyday French, décliner is commonly used in the imparfait tense to indicate repeated or ongoing actions in the past. This tense is often used to describe habits, states of being, or background information in narratives.

Here are three examples of décliner in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Je déclinais toujours les invitations aux fêtes. (I used to always decline party invitations.)
  2. Elle déclinait poliment toutes les propositions de son collègue. (She politely turned down all of her colleague’s propositions.)
  3. Nous déclinions l’offre de travailler le week-end. (We were turning down the offer to work on weekends.)

Note: The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past and is often translated into English as “used to” or “was/were + -ing.” Keep in mind that translations may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décliner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déclinais Je déclinais l’invitation. I was declining the invitation.
tu déclinais Tu déclinais la responsabilité. You were declining the responsibility.
il déclinait Il déclinait l’offre. He was declining the offer.
elle déclinait Elle déclinait la proposition. She was declining the proposition.
on déclinait On déclinait les invitations. We were declining the invitations.
nous déclinions Nous déclinions la demande. We were declining the request.
vous décliniez Vous décliniez l’opportunité. You were declining the opportunity.
ils déclinaient Ils déclinaient les offres. They were declining the offers.
elles déclinaient Elles déclinaient les propositions. They were declining the propositions.

Other Conjugations for Décliner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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