Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démarcher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démarcher

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The English translation of the French verb démarcher is “to canvass” or “to approach.” The infinitive form “démarcher” is pronounced as “de-mahr-shay.”

The word “démarcher” comes from the French noun “démarche” which means “step” or “move.” It is commonly used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe repeated or ongoing actions in the past.

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

  1. J’habitais dans un quartier où les politiciens démarchaient souvent pour des votes.
    (I used to live in a neighborhood where politicians would canvass often for votes.)

  2. Chaque été, les agents immobiliers démarchaient les touristes pour leur vendre des propriétés.
    (Every summer, real estate agents would approach tourists to sell them properties.)

  3. Les étudiants démarchaient les passants pour collecter des fonds pour leur projet.
    (The students would canvass passersby to collect funds for their project.)

In these examples, the verb “démarcher” is used to convey the idea of repeated or ongoing actions in the past, illustrating how the action of canvassing was performed regularly or habitually.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of démarcher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je démarchais Je démarchais les clients. I was canvassing the clients.
tu démarchais Tu démarchais les entreprises. You were approaching the companies.
il démarchait Il démarchait les partenaires. He was soliciting the partners.
elle démarchait Elle démarchait les investisseurs. She was approaching the investors.
on démarchait On démarchait les fournisseurs. We were approaching the suppliers.
nous démarchions Nous démarchions les clients potentiels. We were canvassing potential clients.
vous démarchiez Vous démarchiez les associations. You were soliciting the associations.
ils démarchaient Ils démarchaient les prospects. They were approaching the prospects.
elles démarchaient Elles démarchaient les fournisseurs. They were approaching the suppliers.

Other Conjugations for Démarcher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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