Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépanner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépanner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dépanner. 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 “dépanner” is “to troubleshoot” or “to fix”. The infinitive form “dépanner” is pronounced as [de-pa-ne].

The word “dépanner” originated from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “un-” or “de-“) and the noun “panne” (meaning “breakdown” or “malfunction”). It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of repairing or resolving a problem, often related to mechanical or technical issues.

Examples of dépanner in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, mon père me dépannait toujours lorsque ma bicyclette tombait en panne.
    (When I was young, my father would always fix my bicycle when it broke down.)

  2. Chaque fois qu’il pleuvait, mon voisin dépannait les gouttières pour éviter les fuites.
    (Every time it rained, my neighbor would troubleshoot the gutters to avoid leaks.)

  3. Nous habitions dans un vieux quartier où les électriciens dépannaient régulièrement les installations électriques défaillantes.
    (We lived in an old neighborhood where electricians would regularly fix faulty electrical installations.)

English translations:

  1. When I was young, my father would always fix my bicycle when it broke down.
  2. Every time it rained, my neighbor would troubleshoot the gutters to avoid leaks.
  3. We lived in an old neighborhood where electricians would regularly fix faulty electrical installations.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dépanner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dépannais Je dépannais l’ordinateur. I was fixing the computer.
tu dépannais Tu dépannais la voiture. You were repairing the car.
il dépannait Il dépannait la machine. He was troubleshooting the machine.
elle dépannait Elle dépannait le réseau. She was fixing the network.
on dépannait On dépannait les appareils électriques. We were fixing the electrical devices.
nous dépannions Nous dépannions les systèmes informatiques. We were repairing the computer systems.
vous dépanniez Vous dépanniez les problèmes de plomberie. You were fixing the plumbing issues.
ils dépannaient Ils dépannaient les équipements électroniques. They were repairing the electronic equipment.
elles dépannaient Elles dépannaient les pannes électriques. They were fixing the electrical outages.

Other Conjugations for Dépanner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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