Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délimiter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délimiter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of délimiter. 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 “délimiter” is “to delimit” or “to define”. The infinitive form of délimiter is pronounced as “day-lee-me-tay”.

In terms of language origin, “délimiter” is derived from the Latin word “delimitare”, which means “to mark off” or “to define boundaries”. It is most often used in everyday French to express the action of setting limits, defining boundaries, or marking off an area or space.

Here are three examples of the usage of “délimiter” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Nous délimitions le jardin avec une clôture.
    (We were delimiting the garden with a fence.)

  2. Tu délimitais les différentes sections du rapport.
    (You were delimiting the different sections of the report.)

  3. Ils délimitaient la zone de construction avec des panneaux de signalisation.
    (They were delimiting the construction area with signs.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of délimiter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je délimitais Je délimitais la zone. I was delimiting the area.
tu délimitais Tu délimitais le terrain. You were delimiting the field.
il délimitait Il délimitait le parcours. He was delimiting the course.
elle délimitait Elle délimitait la frontière. She was delimiting the border.
on délimitait On délimitait les zones de sécurité. We were delimiting the safety zones.
nous délimitions Nous délimitions les parcelles. We were delimiting the plots.
vous délimitiez Vous délimitiez le périmètre. You were delimiting the perimeter.
ils délimitaient Ils délimitaient les limites. They were delimiting the limits.
elles délimitaient Elles délimitaient les contours. They were delimiting the contours.

Other Conjugations for Délimiter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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