Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déménager

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déménager

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The English translation of the French verb “déménager” is “to move” (as in changing residences). The infinitive form “déménager” is pronounced as [dey-mey-na-zhey].

The verb “déménager” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating a change) and the verb “ménager” (to manage or to arrange). It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je déménageais tous les ans quand j’étais étudiant.
    (I used to move every year when I was a student.)

  2. Nous déménagions souvent lorsque nous étions enfants.
    (We would often move when we were children.)

  3. Elle déménageait régulièrement pour son travail.
    (She would regularly move for her job.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to describe repeated or ongoing actions in the past, highlighting the habit of moving residences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déménager

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déménageais Je déménageais souvent. I used to move often.
tu déménageais Tu déménageais en été. You used to move in the summer.
il déménageait Il déménageait seul. He used to move alone.
elle déménageait Elle déménageait chaque année. She used to move every year.
on déménageait On déménageait ensemble. We used to move together.
nous déménagions Nous déménagions en juin. We used to move in June.
vous déménagiez Vous déménagiez dans une grande maison. You used to move to a big house.
ils déménageaient Ils déménageaient fréquemment. They used to move frequently.
elles déménageaient Elles déménageaient en ville. They used to move to the city.

Other Conjugations for Déménager.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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