Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désherber

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désherber

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désherber. 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 désherber is “to weed.” The infinitive form “désherber” is pronounced as “dey-shair-bey.”

The word désherber is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating removal or reversal) and the verb “herbe” (meaning “grass” or “weed”). Therefore, désherber essentially means “to remove weeds.”

In everyday French, the verb désherber is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It is often used to talk about the act of weeding or removing weeds in different contexts.

Here are three examples of désherber in the imparfait tense with their translations:

  1. Chaque semaine, je désherbai le jardin de ma grand-mère.
    (Every week, I used to weed my grandmother’s garden.)

  2. Pendant l’été, nous désherbions régulièrement les parterres de fleurs.
    (During the summer, we would regularly weed the flower beds.)

  3. Quand j’étais jeune, mon père désherbait toujours le potager le dimanche matin.
    (When I was young, my father would always weed the vegetable patch on Sunday mornings.)

Note: In the examples, the verb désherber is conjugated in the imparfait tense based on the subject and the context of the sentence.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désherber

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désherbais Je désherbais mon jardin. I was weeding my garden.
tu désherbais Tu désherbais les fleurs. You were weeding the flowers.
il désherbait Il désherbait tous les jours. He was weeding every day.
elle désherbait Elle désherbait avec soin. She was weeding carefully.
on désherbait On désherbait ensemble. We were weeding together.
nous désherbions Nous désherbions le potager. We were weeding the vegetable garden.
vous désherbiez Vous désherbiez la pelouse. You were weeding the lawn.
ils désherbaient Ils désherbaient les mauvaises herbes. They were weeding the weeds.
elles désherbaient Elles désherbaient les plates-bandes. They were weeding the flower beds.

Other Conjugations for Désherber.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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