Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détecter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détecter

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The English translation of the French verb détecter is “to detect.” The infinitive form “détecter” is pronounced as [deh-tehk-teh].

The word détecter originates from the Latin word “detectare,” which means “to uncover” or “to discover.” In everyday French, détecter is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It is often used to talk about the past state of detecting something.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque nuit, je détectais des bruits étranges dans le grenier. (Every night, I would detect strange noises in the attic.)
  2. Nous détections des signes de corruption dans leurs affaires depuis des années. (We were detecting signs of corruption in their business for years.)
  3. Pendant des mois, il détectait des erreurs dans les calculs de l’équipe. (For months, he was detecting mistakes in the team’s calculations.)

English translations:

  1. Every night, I would detect strange noises in the attic.
  2. We were detecting signs of corruption in their business for years.
  3. For months, he was detecting mistakes in the team’s calculations.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of détecter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je détectais Je détectais les erreurs. I detected the errors.
tu détectais Tu détectais les problèmes. You detected the problems.
il détectait Il détectait les mensonges. He detected the lies.
elle détectait Elle détectait les fautes. She detected the mistakes.
on détectait On détectait les anomalies. We detected the anomalies.
nous détections Nous détections les changements. We detected the changes.
vous détectiez Vous détectiez les intrusions. You detected the intrusions.
ils détectaient Ils détectaient les fraudes. They detected the frauds.
elles détectaient Elles détectaient les dangers. They detected the dangers.

Other Conjugations for Détecter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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