Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégermer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégermer

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The English translation of the French verb dégermer is “to remove the sprout” or “to eliminate the germ.” The infinitive form “dégermer” is pronounced as “dey-jehr-mey.”

Dégermer is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating removal or reversal) and the verb “germer” (to sprout or germinate). It is primarily used in the context of cooking or gardening, implying the action of removing the sprout or germ from a particular ingredient.

In the imparfait tense (imperfect), dégermer is often used to describe a continuous or repeated action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, je dégermais les pommes de terre avant de les éplucher.
    (Every morning, I would remove the sprouts from the potatoes before peeling them.)

  2. Pendant l’été, ma grand-mère dégermait les haricots verts frais pour les cuisiner.
    (During the summer, my grandmother would eliminate the germs from the fresh green beans before cooking them.)

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, mon père dégermait les graines avant de les planter dans le jardin.
    (When I was a child, my father would remove the germs from the seeds before planting them in the garden.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dégermer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dégermais Je dégermais les pommes de terre. I was removing the sprouts from the potatoes.
tu dégermais Tu dégermais les graines. You were removing the germs from the seeds.
il dégermait Il dégermait les légumes. He was removing the germs from the vegetables.
elle dégermait Elle dégermait les oignons. She was removing the sprouts from the onions.
on dégermait On dégermait les plantes. We were removing the sprouts from the plants.
nous dégermions Nous dégermions les tubercules. We were removing the sprouts from the tubers.
vous dégermiez Vous dégermiez les noix. You were removing the germs from the nuts.
ils dégermaient Ils dégermaient les semences. They were removing the germs from the seeds.
elles dégermaient Elles dégermaient les légumineuses. They were removing the sprouts from the legumes.

Other Conjugations for Dégermer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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