Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déponer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déponer

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The English translation of the French verb déponer is “to depose” or “to remove from office.” The infinitive form of déponer is pronounced as “dey-po-ney.”

Déponer comes from the Old French word “depooner” which means “to take away, to remove.” It is derived from the Latin word “deponere,” which has a similar meaning. In everyday French, déponer is most often used in legal or political contexts to refer to the act of removing someone from a position of authority or power.

Here are three examples of déponer used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque fois qu’il y avait une crise politique, le roi déponait les ministres.
    English: Every time there was a political crisis, the king would depose the ministers.

  2. Pendant la révolution, le peuple déponait les dirigeants corrompus.
    English: During the revolution, the people would depose the corrupt leaders.

  3. Les membres du parlement envisageaient de déponer le président si les accusations étaient prouvées.
    English: The members of parliament were considering deposing the president if the accusations were proven.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déponer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déposais Je déposais mes affaires. I was depositing my things.
tu déposais Tu déposais ton argent. You were depositing your money.
il déposait Il déposait ses bagages. He was depositing his luggage.
elle déposait Elle déposait ses clés. She was depositing her keys.
on déposait On déposait les documents. We were depositing the documents.
nous déposions Nous déposions les livres. We were depositing the books.
vous déposiez Vous déposiez votre plainte. You were depositing your complaint.
ils déposaient Ils déposaient les valises. They were depositing the suitcases.
elles déposaient Elles déposaient les fleurs. They were depositing the flowers.

Other Conjugations for Déponer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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