Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démancher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démancher

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of démancher. 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 “démancher” is “to remove the handle” or “to take off the handle.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “démancher” is [de-mahn-SHAY].

The verb “démancher” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating removal) and the noun “manche” (meaning “handle” in English). It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of detaching or disconnecting the handle of an object.

Examples of “démancher” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, je démanchais le balai avant de le ranger.
    (Every evening, I would remove the handle of the broom before putting it away.)

  2. Quand j’étais petit, je démanchais souvent les poupées pour jouer avec les têtes.
    (When I was little, I would often take off the handles of dolls to play with the heads.)

  3. Nous démanchions les outils pour les nettoyer après chaque utilisation.
    (We used to remove the handles of the tools to clean them after each use.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of démancher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je démanchais Je démanchais la porte. I was taking off the handle.
tu démanchais Tu démanchais le couteau. You were taking off the handle of the knife.
il démanchait Il démanchait le balai. He was taking off the handle of the broom.
elle démanchait Elle démanchait la pelle. She was taking off the handle of the shovel.
on démanchait On démanchait la chaise. We were taking off the handle of the chair.
nous démanchions Nous démanchions les outils. We were taking off the handles of the tools.
vous démanchiez Vous démanchiez le marteau. You were taking off the handle of the hammer.
ils démanchaient Ils démanchaient la scie. They were taking off the handle of the saw.
elles démanchaient Elles démanchaient le râteau. They were taking off the handle of the rake.

Other Conjugations for Démancher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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