Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défroquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défroquer

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The English translation of the French verb “défroquer” is “to defrock” or “to strip of clerical status.”

The infinitive form “défroquer” is pronounced as “day-fro-kay.”

The word “défroquer” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “to undo” or “to remove”) and the noun “froc” (meaning “frock” or “clerical garb”). It is most commonly used to describe the action of a priest or member of the clergy voluntarily renouncing their clerical status or abandoning their religious vows.

In everyday French, when using “défroquer” in the imparfait tense (past continuous), it expresses an ongoing or habitual action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, mon oncle défroquait souvent les prêtres déçus.
    (When I was young, my uncle would often defrock disappointed priests.)

  2. Elle défroquait lentement, mais enfin elle a trouvé la paix dans une vie laïque.
    (She was slowly defrocking, but finally found peace in a secular life.)

  3. Nous nous rappelions des histoires des prêtres qui défroquaient pour se marier.
    (We used to remember stories of priests who would defrock to get married.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of défroquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je défroquais Je défroquais de l’ordre religieux. I was leaving the religious order.
tu défroquais Tu défroquais pour te marier. You were leaving to get married.
il défroquait Il défroquait pour commencer une nouvelle vie. He was leaving to start a new life.
elle défroquait Elle défroquait pour suivre ses rêves. She was leaving to follow her dreams.
on défroquait On défroquait pour des raisons personnelles. We were leaving for personal reasons.
nous défroquions Nous défroquions pour explorer le monde. We were leaving to explore the world.
vous défroquiez Vous défroquiez pour rejoindre une autre communauté. You were leaving to join another community.
ils défroquaient Ils défroquaient pour échapper à la pression. They were leaving to escape the pressure.
elles défroquaient Elles défroquaient pour vivre leur propre vie. They were leaving to live their own lives.

Other Conjugations for Défroquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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