Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détacher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détacher

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of détacher. 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 “détacher” is “to detach” or “to unfasten.” The infinitive form “détacher” is pronounced as “day-tash-ay.”

The word “détacher” is derived from the Latin word “dē-tractāre,” meaning “to take away.” It is mainly used in everyday French to express the action of separating, disconnecting, or removing something from another thing.

In the imparfait tense, “détacher” is typically used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je détachais toujours les étiquettes de mes vêtements.
    (When I was a child, I always used to detach the labels from my clothes.)

  2. Tous les jours, il détachait les feuilles de son carnet pour les jeter.
    (Every day, he would detach the pages from his notebook to throw them away.)

  3. Nous détachions les fleurs fanées pour laisser place aux nouvelles.
    (We used to detach the withered flowers to make room for the new ones.)

Note: The English translations may not necessarily use the word “detach” in all cases, but they convey the same meaning and intention.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of détacher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je détachais Je détachais le vêtement. I was detaching the clothing.
tu détachais Tu détachais les taches. You were removing the stains.
il détachait Il détachait le papier. He was separating the paper.
elle détachait Elle détachait les feuilles. She was detaching the leaves.
on détachait On détachait les documents. We were detaching the documents.
nous détachions Nous détachions les photos. We were detaching the photos.
vous détachiez Vous détachiez les attaches. You were unfastening the fasteners.
ils détachaient Ils détachaient les pièces. They were detaching the parts.
elles détachaient Elles détachaient les fils. They were detaching the threads.

Other Conjugations for Détacher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the détacher imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply