Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénitrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénitrer

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The English translation of the French verb dénitrer is “to denitrate.” The infinitive form of dénitrer is pronounced as “dey-nee-tray.”

The word dénitrer is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating removal or separation) and the root “nitrer” (related to the presence of nitrates). In everyday French, dénitrer is used to refer to the process of removing or reducing the amount of nitrates in something, such as soil or water.

In the imparfait tense, dénitrer is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Je dénitrais l’eau du puits chaque semaine.
    (I was denitrating the well water every week.)

  2. Tu dénitrais les sols contaminés par les nitrates.
    (You were denitrating the soils contaminated with nitrates.)

  3. Il/Elle dénitrait les cultures pour les rendre plus saines.
    (He/She was denitrating the crops to make them healthier.)

Note: The imparfait tense is often used to describe habitual actions or ongoing states in the past, and it is formed by adding the appropriate endings to the root of the verb.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dénitrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dénitrais Je dénitrais le sol. I was denitrifying the soil.
tu dénitrais Tu dénitrais les plantes. You were denitrifying the plants.
il dénitrais Il dénitrais l’eau. He was denitrifying the water.
elle dénitrais Elle dénitrais les déchets. She was denitrifying the waste.
on dénitrais On dénitrais les surfaces. We were denitrifying the surfaces.
nous dénitrions Nous dénitrions les sols. We were denitrifying the soils.
vous dénitrions Vous dénitrions les champs. You were denitrifying the fields.
ils dénitraient Ils dénitraient les cultures. They were denitrifying the crops.
elles dénitraient Elles dénitraient les eaux usées. They were denitrifying the wastewater.

Other Conjugations for Dénitrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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