Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégager

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégager

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The English translation of the French verb dégager is “to free” or “to release.” The infinitive form of dégager is pronounced as “dey-ga-zhey.”

The verb dégager comes from the Old French word “degagier,” which means “to free from obstacles.” It is derived from the combination of the prefix “de-” (meaning “from” or “out of”) and the verb “gager” (meaning “to obstruct” or “to hinder”). In everyday French, dégager is commonly used to express the idea of freeing or releasing something or someone from a constraint, obstacle, or burden.

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

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je dégageais mon emploi du temps pour faire du sport.
    (When I was young, I would free up my schedule to do sports.)

  2. Pendant la réunion, nous dégagions les idées principales pour faciliter la discussion.
    (During the meeting, we would outline the main ideas to facilitate the discussion.)

  3. Chaque soir, mon père dégageait la table après le dîner.
    (Every evening, my father would clear the table after dinner.)

In these examples, dégager is used in the imparfait tense to describe past habitual actions or ongoing states. It conveys the idea of freeing or releasing something or someone on a regular basis or for a continuous duration in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dégager

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dégageais Je dégageais la fumée. I was clearing the smoke.
tu dégageais Tu dégageais la route. You were clearing the road.
il dégageait Il dégageait une bonne énergie. He was giving off good energy.
elle dégageait Elle dégageait de la confiance. She was exuding confidence.
on dégageait On dégageait une mauvaise odeur. We were giving off a bad smell.
nous dégagions Nous dégagions de l’espace. We were clearing space.
vous dégagiez Vous dégagiez du temps. You were making time.
ils dégageaient Ils dégageaient beaucoup de chaleur. They were giving off a lot of heat.
elles dégageaient Elles dégageaient une belle aura. They were radiating a beautiful aura.

Other Conjugations for Dégager.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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