Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénicher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénicher

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dénicher. 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 “dénicher” is “to unearth” or “to find.” The infinitive form “dénicher” is pronounced as [deh-nee-shey].

The verb “dénicher” comes from the noun “nid” (meaning “nest” in English), which originated from the Latin word “nidus.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to express past habits or ongoing actions in the past.

Examples of “dénicher” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque samedi, je dénichais de vieux vinyles dans les vide-greniers. (Every Saturday, I used to unearth old vinyl records at flea markets.)
  2. Nous dénichions toujours les meilleurs restaurants lors de nos voyages. (We would always find the best restaurants during our trips.)
  3. Ils dénichaient des trésors cachés dans les brocantes. (They were finding hidden treasures in flea markets.)

English translations:

  1. Every Saturday, I used to unearth old vinyl records at flea markets.
  2. We would always find the best restaurants during our trips.
  3. They were finding hidden treasures in flea markets.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dénicher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dénichais Je dénichais de vieux vinyles. I used to find old vinyl records.
tu dénichais Tu dénichais de bonnes affaires. You used to find good deals.
il dénichait Il dénichait des oiseaux rares. He used to find rare birds.
elle dénichait Elle dénichait de jolis objets. She used to find pretty objects.
on dénichait On dénichait de belles trouvailles. We used to find great discoveries.
nous dénichions Nous dénichions de nouveaux restaurants. We used to find new restaurants.
vous dénichiez Vous dénichiez des endroits secrets. You used to find secret places.
ils dénichaient Ils dénichaient des trésors cachés. They used to find hidden treasures.
elles dénichaient Elles dénichaient des bonnes adresses. They used to find good recommendations.

Other Conjugations for Dénicher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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