Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépouiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépouiller

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The English translation of the French verb “dépouiller” is “to strip,” “to undress,” or “to plunder.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “dépouiller” is [deh-pwee-yeh].

The verb “dépouiller” comes from the Old French word “despoillier,” which can be traced back to the Latin word “despoliare.” It is primarily used in everyday French to express actions related to removing clothes or possessions from someone, as well as to describe the act of stripping or plundering in a broader sense.

Here are three examples of the usage of “dépouiller” in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, elle dépouillait ses vêtements et se glissait dans son pyjama.
    (Every evening, she would undress and slip into her pajamas.)

  2. Pendant la guerre, les envahisseurs dépouillaient les maisons des habitants.
    (During the war, the invaders would plunder the houses of the residents.)

  3. Les voleurs dépouillaient les passants de leurs objets de valeur.
    (The thieves would strip the passersby of their valuable belongings.)

Please note that the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing, habitual, or repeated actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dépouiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dépouillais Je dépouillais la maison. I was stripping the house.
tu dépouillais Tu dépouillais les arbres. You were stripping the trees.
il dépouillait Il dépouillait les animaux. He was stripping the animals.
elle dépouillait Elle dépouillait les plantes. She was stripping the plants.
on dépouillait On dépouillait les ressources naturelles. We were stripping the natural resources.
nous dépouillions Nous dépouillions les vêtements. We were stripping the clothes.
vous dépouilliez Vous dépouilliez les objets de valeur. You were stripping the valuable objects.
ils dépouillaient Ils dépouillaient les maisons abandonnées. They were stripping the abandoned houses.
elles dépouillaient Elles dépouillaient les terres. They were stripping the lands.

Other Conjugations for Dépouiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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