Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépêcher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépêcher

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dépêcher. 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 “dépêcher” is “to hurry” or “to dispatch”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “dey-pey-shey”.

The verb “dépêcher” originated from the Old French word “despechier” which meant “to send away”. It evolved from the Latin word “dis-impedicare” which means “to free from fetters”. In everyday French, “dépêcher” is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to talk about ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque matin, je me dépêchais pour ne pas rater mon train.
    Translation: Every morning, I hurried so as not to miss my train.

  2. Nous nous dépêchions d’arriver à l’école avant que la cloche sonne.
    Translation: We were hurrying to arrive at school before the bell rang.

  3. Tu te dépêchais toujours de finir tes devoirs avant le dîner.
    Translation: You always hurried to finish your homework before dinner.

Note: In the examples above, the verb “dépêcher” is used reflexively (se dépêcher) to indicate that the subject is hurrying himself/herself. However, it can also be used in a transitive form without the reflexive pronoun, for example, “Il dépêchait les lettres” (He was dispatching the letters).

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dépêcher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dépêchais Je me dépêchais pour arriver à l’heure. I was hurrying to arrive on time.
tu dépêchais Tu te dépêchais de finir le travail. You were hurrying to finish the work.
il dépêchait Il se dépêchait de sortir de la maison. He was hurrying to leave the house.
elle dépêchait Elle se dépêchait de prendre le train. She was hurrying to catch the train.
on dépêchait On se dépêchait de préparer le repas. We were hurrying to prepare the meal.
nous dépêchions Nous nous dépêchions de partir en vacances. We were hurrying to leave for vacation.
vous dépêchiez Vous vous dépêchiez d’appeler le médecin. You were hurrying to call the doctor.
ils dépêchaient Ils se dépêchaient de ranger la chambre. They were hurrying to tidy up the room.
elles dépêchaient Elles se dépêchaient de terminer leurs devoirs. They were hurrying to finish their homework.

Other Conjugations for Dépêcher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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