Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb destiner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb destiner

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The English translation of the French verb “destiner” is “to intend” or “to destine.” The infinitive form “destiner” is pronounced as “deh-stee-nay.”

The word “destiner” comes from the Latin word “destinare,” which means “to determine” or “to set aside.” In everyday French, “destiner” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express an intention or a plan in the past.

Here are three examples of how “destiner” is used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je destinais mes économies pour un voyage en Europe.
    (I intended to use my savings for a trip to Europe.)

  2. Nous te destinions cette chambre dans notre nouvelle maison.
    (We intended to give you this room in our new house.)

  3. Ils destinaient ce livre à leur professeur préféré.
    (They intended to give this book to their favorite teacher.)

In these examples, “destiner” is used to convey a past intention or plan, which may or may not have been accomplished. The imparfait tense gives a sense of ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of destiner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je destinais Je destinais mes économies à mes études. I was using my savings for my studies.
tu destinais Tu destinais cette lettre à ton ami. You were addressing this letter to your friend.
il destinait Il destinait tous ses efforts à sa carrière. He was devoting all his efforts to his career.
elle destinait Elle destinait ses talents à la danse. She was dedicating her talents to dance.
on destinait On destinait cette pièce au rangement. We were designating this room for storage.
nous destinions Nous destinions cette maison à la location. We were intending to rent out this house.
vous destiniez Vous destiniez ces livres à l’étude. You were allocating these books for studying.
ils destinaient Ils destinaient ces fonds à des projets humanitaires. They were allocating these funds for humanitarian projects.
elles destinaient Elles destinaient ce cadeau à leur mère. They were dedicating this gift to their mother.

Other Conjugations for Destiner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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