Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déterrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déterrer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déterrer. 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 “déterrer” is “to unearth” or “to dig up.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “déterrer” is [de-te-re].

The verb “déterrer” comes from the Latin word “terra” meaning “earth” and the prefix “dé-” which indicates a reversal or undoing. It is primarily used in everyday French to refer to the action of digging up or uncovering something that was buried or hidden.

Here are three examples of “déterrer” used in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque été, nous déterrions les vieux jouets dans le jardin de notre grand-mère.
    (Every summer, we would unearth the old toys in our grandmother’s garden.)

  2. Pendant les fouilles archéologiques, ils déterraient des poteries datant de l’ère romaine.
    (During the archaeological excavations, they were unearthing pottery dating back to the Roman era.)

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, je déterrais souvent des trésors dans le sable de la plage.
    (When I was a child, I would often dig up treasures in the sand at the beach.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déterrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déterr ais Je déterr ais des trésors. I was unearthing treasures.
tu déterr ais Tu déterr ais les plantes. You were uprooting the plants.
il déterr ait Il déterr ait les ossements. He was exhuming the bones.
elle déterr ait Elle déterr ait les racines. She was digging up the roots.
on déterr ait On déterr ait des vestiges. We were unearthing relics.
nous déterr ions Nous déterr ions les artefacts. We were excavating artifacts.
vous déterr iez Vous déterr iez des trésors. You were unearthing treasures.
ils déterr aient Ils déterr aient les objets. They were unearthing the objects.
elles déterr aient Elles déterr aient les secrets. They were uncovering secrets.

Other Conjugations for Déterrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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