Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépiler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépiler

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The English translation of the French verb “dépiler” is “to remove hair” or “to depilate”. The infinitive form of “dépiler” is pronounced as “day-pee-lay.”

The word “dépiler” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “un-” or “to remove”) and the verb “piler” (meaning “to remove hair” or “to pluck”). It is primarily used in everyday French to refer to the act of removing unwanted hair from the body, typically through methods like shaving, waxing, or using hair removal creams.

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

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je dépilais mes jambes chaque semaine.
    (When I was young, I used to remove hair from my legs every week.)

  2. Elle se dépilait les aisselles avant chaque soirée.
    (She would depilate her armpits before every party.)

  3. Nous dépilions nos sourcils régulièrement pour avoir une belle forme.
    (We used to remove hair from our eyebrows regularly to have a nice shape.)

Please note that the imparfait tense in French often expresses ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dépiler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dépilais Je dépilais mes jambes. I was removing the hair from my legs.
tu dépilais Tu dépilais ton visage. You were removing the hair from your face.
il dépilait Il dépillait son dos. He was removing the hair from his back.
elle dépilait Elle dépillait ses bras. She was removing the hair from her arms.
on dépilait On dépillait nos jambes. We were removing the hair from our legs.
nous dépilions Nous dépilions notre poitrine. We were removing the hair from our chest.
vous dépiliez Vous dépilliez vos sourcils. You were removing the hair from your eyebrows.
ils dépilaient Ils dépilaient leurs jambes. They were removing the hair from their legs.
elles dépilaient Elles dépilaient leurs aisselles. They were removing the hair from their armpits.

Other Conjugations for Dépiler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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