Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détrancher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détrancher

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The English translation of the French verb détrancher is “to remove/detach.” The infinitive form of détrancher is pronounced as “deu-tran-shay.”

Détrancher is derived from the French word “tranche,” which means “slice” or “cut.” The prefix “dé-” adds the meaning of “removing” or “detaching.” In everyday French, détrancher is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Pendant l’été, je détranchais les mauvaises herbes du jardin.
    (During the summer, I would remove the weeds from the garden.)

  2. Chaque soir, il détranchait les pages des vieux livres.
    (Every evening, he would detach the pages from old books.)

  3. Nous détranchions les fils électriques pour les recâbler correctement.
    (We used to remove the electrical wires to rewire them properly.)

Please note that the imparfait tense in English is often translated as “used to” or “would” when describing past actions that were ongoing or habitual.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of détrancher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je détranchais Je détranchais les mauvaises herbes. I was removing the weeds.
tu détranchais Tu détranchais le câble. You were disconnecting the cable.
il détranchait Il détranchait la clôture. He was taking down the fence.
elle détranchait Elle détranchait les fils électriques. She was cutting the electrical wires.
on détranchait On détranchait les arbres morts. We were cutting down the dead trees.
nous détranchions Nous détranchions les vieux meubles. We were getting rid of the old furniture.
vous détranchiez Vous détranchiez les mauvais souvenirs. You were erasing the bad memories.
ils détranchaient Ils détranchaient les mauvais comportements. They were eliminating the bad behaviors.
elles détranchaient Elles détranchaient les mauvaises habitudes. They were breaking the bad habits.

Other Conjugations for Détrancher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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