Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégonder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégonder

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dégonder. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “dégonder” is “to unhinge” or “to remove from its hinges.” The infinitive form “dégonder” is pronounced as “deh-gon-day.”

The word “dégonder” comes from the combination of “dé-” (a prefix meaning “to undo” or “to remove”) and “gonde” (which means “hinge” in old French). It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of removing or taking off a door or window from its hinges.

Here are three examples of how “dégonder” is used in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque été, mon grand-père dégondait les volets de la maison.
    (Every summer, my grandfather would take off the shutters from the house.)

  2. Quand nous étions enfants, nous dégondions souvent la porte de la remise.
    (When we were children, we would often unhinge the door of the shed.)

  3. Elle dégonderait les fenêtres du salon pour nettoyer les vitres.
    (She used to remove the windows from the living room to clean the glass.)

Please note that the imparfait tense in French is often used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dégonder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dégondais Je dégondais la porte. I was removing the door.
tu dégondais Tu dégondais les fenêtres. You were removing the windows.
il dégondait Il dégondait le meuble. He was removing the furniture.
elle dégondait Elle dégondait la porte d’entrée. She was removing the front door.
on dégondait On dégondait les portes. We were removing the doors.
nous dégondions Nous dégondions les portails. We were removing the gates.
vous dégondiez Vous dégondiez les portes de garage. You were removing the garage doors.
ils dégondaient Ils dégondaient les armoires. They were removing the cabinets.
elles dégondaient Elles dégondaient les fenêtres. They were removing the windows.

Other Conjugations for Dégonder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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