Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraper

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déraper

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The English translation of the French verb “déraper” is “to skid” or “to slide”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form “déraper” is [deh-rah-peh].

The word “déraper” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” meaning “off” or “away” and the verb “raper”, which means “to grate” or “to scrape”. In everyday French, “déraper” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe a continuous or repeated action in the past. It denotes a sliding or skidding movement, either literally or metaphorically.

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

  1. Nous dérapions sur la route mouillée. (We were skidding on the wet road.)
  2. Tu dérapais souvent lors des virages serrés. (You used to skid often during tight turns.)
  3. Pendant l’hiver, les voitures dérapaient sur la glace. (During winter, cars would skid on the ice.)

Note: The English translations provided are approximate and may vary based on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déraper

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dérapais Je dérapais sur la glace. I was skidding on the ice.
tu dérapais Tu dérapais en vélo. You were slipping on your bike.
il dérapait Il dérapait dans les virages. He was sliding in the turns.
elle dérapait Elle dérapait sur le sol mouillé. She was skidding on the wet floor.
on dérapait On dérapait en voiture. We were skidding in the car.
nous dérapions Nous dérapions sur la piste. We were sliding on the track.
vous dérapiez Vous dérapiez sur la route. You were slipping on the road.
ils dérapaient Ils dérapaient sur la neige. They were skidding on the snow.
elles dérapaient Elles dérapaient dans les virages. They were sliding in the turns.

Other Conjugations for Déraper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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