Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégripper

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégripper

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The English translation of the French verb “dégripper” is “to unstick” or “to unjam.”

The infinitive form of “dégripper” is pronounced as “day-gree-pay.”

The word “dégripper” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which indicates reversal or removal) and the verb “gripper” (meaning “to grip” or “to hold tightly”). It is most commonly used to describe the action of loosening or freeing something that is stuck or jammed.

In everyday French, “dégripper” is often used in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or habitual past actions. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je dégrippais la porte tous les matins. (I used to unstick the door every morning.)
  2. Tu dégrippais le robinet qui fuyait. (You used to unjam the leaking faucet.)
  3. Il/Elle dégrippait le vieux vélo avant de le réparer. (He/She used to unstick the old bike before fixing it.)

These examples illustrate the habitual or ongoing nature of the action of “dégripper” in the past, indicating that it was a repeated or continuous action in the imparfait tense.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dégripper

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dégrippais Je dégrippais la porte. I was unsticking the door.
tu dégrippais Tu dégrippais le mécanisme. You were unsticking the mechanism.
il dégrippait Il dégrippait la roue. He was unsticking the wheel.
elle dégrippait Elle dégrippait la serrure. She was unsticking the lock.
on dégrippait On dégrippait les pièces. We were unsticking the parts.
nous dégrippions Nous dégrippions les vis. We were unsticking the screws.
vous dégrippiez Vous dégrippiez la poignée. You were unsticking the handle.
ils dégrippaient Ils dégrippaient le frein. They were unsticking the brake.
elles dégrippaient Elles dégrippaient le levier. They were unsticking the lever.

Other Conjugations for Dégripper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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