Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déneiger

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déneiger

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déneiger. 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 déneiger is “to clear (snow)”. The infinitive form déneiger is pronounced as “day-nay-zhay”.

Déneiger is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “to remove”) and the verb “neiger” (meaning “to snow”). It is used in everyday French to describe the action of removing or clearing snow from a place, such as a road, a driveway, or a sidewalk.

In the imparfait tense, déneiger typically describes a habitual or ongoing action in the past. Here are three examples of déneiger in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque hiver, je déneigeais le chemin devant ma maison.
    (Every winter, I used to clear the path in front of my house.)

  2. Autrefois, nous déneigions les rues du quartier tous les matins.
    (In the past, we used to clear the streets of the neighborhood every morning.)

  3. Pendant les tempêtes de neige, mon père déneigeait notre allée.
    (During snowstorms, my father would clear our driveway.)

These examples illustrate how déneiger is used to convey the regular or repeated action of snow removal in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déneiger

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déneigeais Je déneigeais la voiture. I was shoveling the snow off the car.
tu déneigeais Tu déneigeais la route. You were clearing the road of snow.
il déneigeait Il déneigeait les trottoirs. He was clearing the sidewalks of snow.
elle déneigeait Elle déneigeait le chemin. She was clearing the path of snow.
on déneigeait On déneigeait les entrées. We were clearing the entrances of snow.
nous déneigions Nous déneigions la cour. We were clearing the courtyard of snow.
vous déneigiez Vous déneigiez les escaliers. You were clearing the stairs of snow.
ils déneigeaient Ils déneigeaient les toits. They were clearing the roofs of snow.
elles déneigeaient Elles déneigeaient les voies. They were clearing the tracks of snow.

Other Conjugations for Déneiger.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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