Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déhancher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déhancher

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déhancher. 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 “déhancher” is “to sway one’s hips” or “to move one’s hips.”

The infinitive form of “déhancher” is pronounced as “day-ahn-shay.”

The word “déhancher” originates from the combination of two words: “dé” which means “un-” or “dis-” and “hanche” which means “hip” in English. Therefore, “déhancher” refers to the action of moving or swaying one’s hips.

In everyday French, “déhancher” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque soir, elle se déhanchait en écoutant de la musique.
    (Every evening, she would sway her hips while listening to music.)

  2. Pendant les fêtes, nous nous déhanchions sur la piste de danse.
    (During the parties, we used to sway our hips on the dancefloor.)

  3. Quand j’étais jeune, je me déhanchais souvent en dansant.
    (When I was young, I would often sway my hips while dancing.)

English translations:

  1. Every evening, she would sway her hips while listening to music.
  2. During the parties, we used to sway our hips on the dancefloor.
  3. When I was young, I would often sway my hips while dancing.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déhancher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déhanchais Je déhanchais mes hanches. I was swaying my hips.
tu déhanchais Tu déhanchais ton corps. You were swaying your body.
il déhanchait Il déhanchait ses épaules. He was swaying his shoulders.
elle déhanchait Elle déhanchait son bassin. She was swaying her pelvis.
on déhanchait On déhanchait notre corps. We were swaying our bodies.
nous déhanchions Nous déhanchions nos hanches. We were swaying our hips.
vous déhanchiez Vous déhanchiez vos épaules. You were swaying your shoulders.
ils déhanchaient Ils déhanchaient leurs bassins. They were swaying their pelvises.
elles déhanchaient Elles déhanchaient leur corps. They were swaying their bodies.

Other Conjugations for Déhancher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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