Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépurer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépurer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dépurer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb dépurer is “to purify.” The infinitive form, dépurer, is pronounced as “day-pu-ray.”

The word dépurer originates from the Latin word “depurare,” which means “to purify” or “to cleanse.” In everyday French, dépurer is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. J’espérais toujours qu’il dépure son alimentation. (I used to always hope that he would purify his diet.)
  2. Nous dépurations régulièrement l’eau du robinet avant de la boire. (We used to regularly purify tap water before drinking it.)
  3. Tu te dépurais l’esprit en méditant tous les jours. (You used to purify your mind by meditating every day.)

These examples demonstrate the use of dépurer in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dépurer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dépurais Je dépurais l’eau. I was purifying the water.
tu dépurais Tu dépurais l’air. You were purifying the air.
il dépurait Il dépurait les aliments. He was purifying the food.
elle dépurait Elle dépurait les liquides. She was purifying the liquids.
on dépurait On dépurait les substances. We were purifying the substances.
nous dépurions Nous dépurions l’environnement. We were purifying the environment.
vous dépuriiez Vous dépuriiez les produits. You were purifying the products.
ils dépuraient Ils dépuraient les déchets. They were purifying the waste.
elles dépuraient Elles dépuraient les matériaux. They were purifying the materials.

Other Conjugations for Dépurer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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