Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépiquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépiquer

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The English translation of the French verb dépiquer is “to pick out” or “to unpick”. The infinitive form of dépiquer is pronounced as “day-pee-kay”.

Dépiquer comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “undo” or “reverse”) and the verb “piquer” (meaning “to prick” or “to sting”). In everyday French, dépiquer is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe an action that was ongoing or repeated in the past.

Here are three examples of dépiquer in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je dépiquais les mauvaises herbes dans le jardin tous les jours.
    (I used to pick out the weeds in the garden every day.)

  2. Pendant la réunion, elle dépiquait les erreurs de grammaire dans les documents.
    (During the meeting, she was picking out grammar mistakes in the documents.)

  3. Nous dépiquions les fils électriques un par un pour les remplacer.
    (We were unpicking the electrical wires one by one to replace them.)

Please note that these translations are not literal and may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dépiquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dépiquais Je dépiquais le maïs. I was harvesting the corn.
tu dépiquais Tu dépiquais les légumes. You were harvesting the vegetables.
il dépiquait Il dépiquait les pommes. He was harvesting the apples.
elle dépiquait Elle dépiquait les fleurs. She was harvesting the flowers.
on dépiquait On dépiquait les fruits. We were harvesting the fruits.
nous dépiquions Nous dépiquions les céréales. We were harvesting the grains.
vous dépiquiez Vous dépiquiez le blé. You were harvesting the wheat.
ils dépiquaient Ils dépiquaient les herbes. They were harvesting the herbs.
elles dépiquaient Elles dépiquaient les plantes. They were harvesting the plants.

Other Conjugations for Dépiquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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