Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décoffrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décoffrer

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The English translation of the French verb décoffrer is “to remove the formwork.” The infinitive form, décoffrer, is pronounced as “day-kof-ray.”

Décoffrer is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating the removal or undoing of an action) and the noun “coffrage” (meaning formwork or shuttering in construction). It is primarily used in the context of construction or carpentry when referring to the action of taking off or removing formwork from concrete or other structures.

In everyday French, décoffrer is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The imparfait is used to express actions that were happening in the past without a specific end.

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

  1. Chaque semaine, nous décoffrions les poutres en béton. (Every week, we were removing the concrete beams.)
  2. Quand j’étais jeune, je décoffrais les fondations des maisons. (When I was young, I used to remove the formwork from house foundations.)
  3. Les ouvriers décoffraient les murs après la solidification du béton. (The workers were removing the formwork from the walls after the concrete had hardened.)

Note: The translations provided are not literal, but rather convey the meaning of the sentences in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décoffrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décoffrais Je décoffrais la fenêtre. I was taking down the shutter.
tu décoffrais Tu décoffrais les portes. You were removing the doors.
il décoffrait Il décoffrait les murs. He was dismantling the walls.
elle décoffrait Elle décoffrait le plancher. She was taking up the floor.
on décoffrait On décoffrait les étagères. We were removing the shelves.
nous décoffrions Nous décoffrions les meubles. We were taking apart the furniture.
vous décoffriez Vous décoffriez les poutres. You were removing the beams.
ils décoffraient Ils décoffraient les structures. They were dismantling the structures.
elles décoffraient Elles décoffraient les fenêtres. They were taking down the windows.

Other Conjugations for Décoffrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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