Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénombrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénombrer

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The English translation of the French verb dénombrer is “to count” or “to enumerate.” The infinitive form of dénombrer is pronounced as [de.nɔ̃.bʁe].

Dénombrer is derived from the Old French word “denombrer,” which was formed by attaching the prefix “de-” (meaning “to remove”) to the verb “nombrer” (meaning “to count”). It is most often used in everyday French to express the action of counting or enumerating items or people.

Here are three examples of dénombrer in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:

  1. Nous dénombrions les invités avant la fête.
    (We were counting the guests before the party.)

  2. Tu dénombrais les pièces de puzzle une par une.
    (You were counting the puzzle pieces one by one.)

  3. Ils dénombraient les pages du livre pour vérifier.
    (They were enumerating the pages of the book to check.)

Note: In the imparfait tense, dénombrer is often used to describe a continuous or ongoing action in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dénombrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dénombrais Je dénombrais les livres. I was counting the books.
tu dénombrais Tu dénombrais les voitures. You were counting the cars.
il dénombrait Il dénombrait les personnes. He was counting the people.
elle dénombrait Elle dénombrait les animaux. She was counting the animals.
on dénombrait On dénombrait les objets. We were counting the objects.
nous dénombrions Nous dénombrions les fruits. We were counting the fruits.
vous dénombriez Vous dénombriez les étoiles. You were counting the stars.
ils dénombraient Ils dénombraient les éléments. They were counting the elements.
elles dénombraient Elles dénombraient les fleurs. They were counting the flowers.

Other Conjugations for Dénombrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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