Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déferrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déferrer

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The English translation of the French verb “déferrer” is “to remove the shoes” or “to unshoe.” The infinitive form of “déferrer” is pronounced as “day-feh-ray.”

The word “déferrer” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which indicates a reversal or removal) and the verb “ferrer” (to shoe or to put on shoes), ultimately derived from the Latin word “ferrum” (iron). In everyday French, “déferrer” is most often used in the imparfait tense when referring to the action of removing shoes from a horse or any animal that has been shod.

Here are three simple examples of “déferrer” used in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque mois, le maréchal-ferrant déferrait le cheval de la ferme.
    Translation: Every month, the blacksmith would remove the shoes from the farm horse.

  2. Pendant l’été, nous déferrions nos chevaux pour qu’ils se reposent.
    Translation: During the summer, we would unshoe our horses so that they could rest.

  3. Quand il pleuvait beaucoup, mon père déferrait les poneys pour éviter les glissades.
    Translation: When it rained heavily, my father would remove the shoes from the ponies to prevent them from slipping.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déferrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déférais Je déférais mes chaussures. I was taking off my shoes.
tu déférais Tu déférais ton collier. You were taking off your necklace.
il déférait Il déférait ses gants. He was taking off his gloves.
elle déférait Elle déférait sa ceinture. She was taking off her belt.
on déférait On déférait nos chapeaux. We were taking off our hats.
nous déférions Nous déférions nos vestes. We were taking off our jackets.
vous défériez Vous défériez vos bottes. You were taking off your boots.
ils déféraient Ils déféraient leurs lunettes. They were taking off their glasses.
elles déféraient Elles déféraient leurs bijoux. They were taking off their jewelry.

Other Conjugations for Déferrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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