Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb départager

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb départager

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of départager. 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 “départager” is “to decide between/to settle/to determine.” The infinitive form “départager” is pronounced as “day-par-ta-zhay.”

The verb “départager” has its origins in the Old French word “departager,” which can be broken down into “de-” (meaning “from” or “apart”) and “partager” (meaning “to share” or “to divide”). It is derived from the Latin word “departire,” which also means “to divide.”

In everyday French, the verb “départager” in the imparfait tense is commonly used to express an ongoing or repeated action in the past. It is often used when referring to situations where a decision or settlement was continuously being made or attempted.

Three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations, are:

  1. Nous départagions les opinions contradictoires. (We were deciding between conflicting opinions.)
  2. Tu départageais les équipes pour le tournoi. (You were determining the teams for the tournament.)
  3. Ils départageaient les concurrents en fonction de leurs performances. (They were settling the competitors based on their performances.)

Please note that the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, but the specific context of each sentence may slightly alter the translations.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of départager

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je départageais Je départageais les concurrents. I was settling the competitors.
tu départageais Tu départageais les équipes. You were dividing the teams.
il départageait Il départageait les litiges. He was resolving the disputes.
elle départageait Elle départageait les candidats. She was deciding between the candidates.
on départageait On départageait les choix. We were making a choice.
nous départagions Nous départagions les participants. We were judging the participants.
vous départagiez Vous départagiez les gagnants. You were determining the winners.
ils départageaient Ils départageaient les adversaires. They were distinguishing the opponents.
elles départageaient Elles départageaient les options. They were differentiating the options.

Other Conjugations for Départager.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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