Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détraquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détraquer

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The English translation of the French verb détraquer is “to disrupt” or “to throw off.” The infinitive form of détraquer is pronounced as “day-trah-kay.”

Détraquer comes from the French word “traquer,” which means “to track” or “to hunt.” The prefix “dé-” adds a sense of negation or reversal to the verb, giving détraquer the meaning of “to untrack” or “to undo the tracking.”

In everyday French, détraquer is often used in the imparfait tense to describe past ongoing actions, states, or habits. It can also be used to express a general condition in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, mon réveil détraquait souvent. (When I was young, my alarm clock would often disrupt.)
  2. La machine à laver se détraquait régulièrement, c’était très embêtant. (The washing machine would regularly malfunction, it was very annoying.)
  3. Mon ordinateur détraquait tous les programmes, il fallait le redémarrer. (My computer was disrupting all the programs, it needed to be restarted.)

Note: The translations provided are approximate, as the context and specific nuances may impact the precise meaning.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of détraquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je détraquais Je détraquais souvent ma voiture. I used to mess up my car often.
tu détraquais Tu détraquais le fonctionnement de l’appareil. You used to disrupt the device.
il détraquait Il détraquait l’horloge. He used to mess up the clock.
elle détraquait Elle détraquait son ordinateur. She used to mess up her computer.
on détraquait On détraquait les machines. We used to mess up the machines.
nous détraquions Nous détraquions le système. We used to mess up the system.
vous détraquiez Vous détraquiez le moteur. You used to mess up the engine.
ils détraquaient Ils détraquaient les machines. They used to mess up the machines.
elles détraquaient Elles détraquaient le fonctionnement du système. They used to mess up the system.

Other Conjugations for Détraquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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