Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépuceler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépuceler

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The English translation of the French verb “dépuceler” is “to deflower.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-pu-suh-lay.”

The verb “dépuceler” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating removal or undoing) and the word “puceler” (meaning “to deflower,” derived from the noun “pucelle” which refers to a virgin). It is considered a formal or literary term and not commonly used in everyday French conversation.

In the imparfait tense, “dépuceler” describes an ongoing or habitual action in the past. Here are three examples of how it can be used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je dépucelais les amies de mon frère. (When I was young, I used to deflower my brother’s friends.)
  2. Elle dépucelait les jeunes filles du village avec sa réputation de séductrice. (She would deflower the young girls of the village with her reputation as a seductress.)
  3. Ils dépucelaient régulièrement des hommes et des femmes dans leur roman. (They would regularly deflower men and women in their novel.)

Note: It’s important to mention that the verb “dépuceler” can be considered vulgar or offensive in certain contexts.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dépuceler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dépucelais Je dépucelais mon ami. I was deflowering my friend.
tu dépucelais Tu dépucelais ton amie. You were deflowering your friend.
il dépucelait Il dépucelait sa copine. He was deflowering his girlfriend.
elle dépucelait Elle dépucelait son copain. She was deflowering her boyfriend.
on dépucelait On dépucelait nos partenaires. We were deflowering our partners.
nous dépucelions Nous dépucelions nos amants. We were deflowering our lovers.
vous dépuceliez Vous dépuceliez vos conquêtes. You were deflowering your conquests.
ils dépucelaient Ils dépucelaient leurs petites amies. They were deflowering their girlfriends.
elles dépucelaient Elles dépucelaient leurs petits amis. They were deflowering their boyfriends.

Other Conjugations for Dépuceler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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