Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénoncer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénoncer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dénoncer. 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 dénoncer is “to denounce” or “to report”. The infinitive form “dénoncer” is pronounced as day-non-say.

The verb dénoncer comes from the Old French word “denoncier”, which ultimately derives from the Latin word “denuntiare” meaning “to announce”.

In everyday French, dénoncer is often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It can convey the sense of denouncing someone or something repeatedly or as a regular occurrence in the past.

Here are three examples of dénoncer used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque semaine, je dénonçais les problèmes de sécurité dans mon quartier.
    (Every week, I would denounce the security issues in my neighborhood.)

  2. L’association dénonçait régulièrement les abus de pouvoir du gouvernement.
    (The association would regularly denounce the government’s abuses of power.)

  3. Nous dénoncions les discriminations raciales qui existaient à cette époque.
    (We were denouncing the racial discriminations that were happening at that time.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dénoncer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dénonçais Je dénonçais le crime. I was denouncing the crime.
tu dénonçais Tu dénonçais les mensonges. You were denouncing the lies.
il dénonçait Il dénonçait la corruption. He was denouncing the corruption.
elle dénonçait Elle dénonçait l’injustice. She was denouncing the injustice.
on dénonçait On dénonçait les abus de pouvoir. We were denouncing the abuses of power.
nous dénoncions Nous dénoncions les discriminations. We were denouncing the discriminations.
vous dénonciez Vous dénonciez les fraudes. You were denouncing the frauds.
ils dénonçaient Ils dénonçaient les crimes économiques. They were denouncing the economic crimes.
elles dénonçaient Elles dénonçaient l’oppression. They were denouncing the oppression.

Other Conjugations for Dénoncer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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