Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégainer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégainer

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The English translation of the French verb “dégainer” is “to draw (a weapon)”. The infinitive form “dégainer” is pronounced as “day-gain-ay”.

The verb “dégainer” originates from the French word “gaine,” meaning “sheath” or “scabbard.” It is derived from the Old French word “gaignier” which meant “to win” or “to gain.” Over time, the meaning of “gaignier” shifted to “to draw a weapon from its sheath.” This is how the verb “dégainer” came into existence.

In everyday French, the verb “dégainer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe past habitual actions or ongoing states in the past. Here are three examples:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je dégainais mon épée en jouant aux mousquetaires.
    (When I was a child, I would draw my sword while playing musketeers.)

  2. Nous dégagions nos couteaux dès que nous entendions un bruit suspect.
    (We would draw our knives as soon as we heard a suspicious noise.)

  3. Marie dégainait son pistolet chaque fois qu’elle se sentait menacée.
    (Marie would draw her gun whenever she felt threatened.)

English translations:

  1. When I was a child, I would draw my sword while playing musketeers.
  2. We would draw our knives as soon as we heard a suspicious noise.
  3. Marie would draw her gun whenever she felt threatened.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dégainer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dégainais Je dégainais mon épée. I was drawing my sword.
tu dégainais Tu dégainais rapidement. You were drawing quickly.
il dégainait Il dégainait son pistolet. He was drawing his gun.
elle dégainait Elle dégainait avec précision. She was drawing with precision.
on dégainait On dégainait en silence. We were drawing silently.
nous dégagions Nous dégagions nos armes. We were drawing our weapons.
vous dégagiez Vous dégagiez votre couteau. You were drawing your knife.
ils dégainaient Ils dégainaient leurs épées. They were drawing their swords.
elles dégainaient Elles dégainaient leurs pistolets. They were drawing their guns.

Other Conjugations for Dégainer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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