Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépaqueter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépaqueter

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The English translation of the French verb dépaqueter is “to unpack”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form dépaqueter is: day-pa-ket-ay.

Dépaqueter is derived from the word “paquet” which means “package” or “parcel” in French. It belongs to the first group of regular -er verbs. In everyday French, dépaqueter is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or habitual action in the past.

Here are three examples of dépaqueter used in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque fois que nous rentrions de voyage, nous dépaquetions nos valises.
    (Whenever we returned from a trip, we would unpack our suitcases.)

  2. Quand j’étais enfant, je dépaquetais mes cadeaux d’anniversaire avec impatience.
    (When I was a child, I used to eagerly unwrap my birthday presents.)

  3. Pendant les vacances d’été, mes parents dépaquetaient la voiture pour partir en camping.
    (During the summer holidays, my parents would unpack the car to go camping.)

In these examples, the verb dépaqueter is used to describe a repeated or habitual action in the past, indicating the act of unpacking suitcases, gifts, or the car for a specific purpose.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dépaqueter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dépaquetais Je dépaquetais les cadeaux. I was unpacking the gifts.
tu dépaquetais Tu dépaquetais tes affaires. You were unpacking your things.
il dépaquetait Il dépaquetait ses bagages. He was unpacking his luggage.
elle dépaquetait Elle dépaquetait les cartons. She was unpacking the boxes.
on dépaquetait On dépaquetait les fournitures. We were unpacking the supplies.
nous dépaquetions Nous dépaquetions les livres. We were unpacking the books.
vous dépaquetiez Vous dépaquetiez vos valises. You were unpacking your suitcases.
ils dépaquetaient Ils dépaquetaient les marchandises. They were unpacking the goods.
elles dépaquetaient Elles dépaquetaient les vêtements. They were unpacking the clothes.

Other Conjugations for Dépaqueter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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