Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Introduction to the verb démâter
The English translation of the French verb “démâter” is “to unstep the mast” or “to take down the mast.” In its infinitive form, “démâter” is pronounced as [de.ma.te].
The verb “démâter” has its origin in the combination of two elements: “dé,” which is a prefix indicating a reversal or removal, and “mât,” meaning “mast.” It is mainly used in the context of sailing, referring to the action of removing the mast from a boat.
In everyday French, when using the imparfait tense, “démâter” can be employed to describe past habitual actions or ongoing actions in the past related to unstepping the mast. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Chaque hiver, nous démâtions notre voilier pour le mettre à l’abri. (Every winter, we used to unstep our sailboat to shelter it.)
- Quand il pleuvait beaucoup, nous démâtions le bateau pour le protéger. (When it rained heavily, we would unstep the boat to protect it.)
- Pendant la régate, ils démâtaient le mât pour effectuer des réparations. (During the regatta, they were unstepping the mast to make repairs.)
In these examples, the imparfait tense indicates past habitual or ongoing actions related to the process of unstepping the mast.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of démâter
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | démâtais | Je démâtais le bateau. | I was taking down the mast. |
tu | démâtais | Tu démâtais rapidement. | You were taking down the mast quickly. |
il | démâtait | Il démâtait avec précaution. | He was taking down the mast carefully. |
elle | démâtait | Elle démâtait seule. | She was taking down the mast alone. |
on | démâtait | On démâtait à cause du vent fort. | We were taking down the mast because of the strong wind. |
nous | démâtions | Nous démâtions tous les ans. | We were taking down the mast every year. |
vous | démâtiez | Vous démâtiez le voilier. | You were taking down the mast of the sailboat. |
ils | démâtaient | Ils démâtaient en équipe. | They were taking down the mast as a team. |
elles | démâtaient | Elles démâtaient ensemble. | They were taking down the mast together. |
Other Conjugations for Démâter.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démâter
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Démâter – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb démâter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!