Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détréper

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détréper

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The English translation of the French verb détréper is “to walk with difficulty” or “to shuffle along.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-treh-pey.”

The word détréper comes from the Old French word “detroper,” which means “to limp.” It is derived from the Latin word “trapes” or “trapesis,” which means “to walk heavily.”

In everyday French, détréper is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It is commonly used to express an action or habit that happened regularly in the past. In this tense, détréper is often used to describe someone’s manner of walking or movement.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je détrépais toujours vers l’école. (When I was a child, I always walked with difficulty towards school.)
  2. Les personnes âgées détrépaient lentement dans le parc. (The elderly people shuffled slowly in the park.)
  3. Pendant la réhabilitation, il détrépait en utilisant une canne. (During the rehabilitation, he walked with difficulty using a cane.)

Note: The translation of these examples reflects the meaning of détréper in context, as there may be variations based on the specific sentence structure and nuances.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of détréper

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je détrépais Je détrépais les mauvaises herbes. I was removing the weeds.
tu détrépais Tu détrépais les vieilles affiches. You were removing the old posters.
il détrépait Il détrépait les mauvais souvenirs. He was getting rid of the bad memories.
elle détrépait Elle détrépait les obstacles. She was removing the obstacles.
on détrépait On détrépait les mauvaises influences. We were removing the bad influences.
nous détrépions Nous détrépions les vieux meubles. We were getting rid of the old furniture.
vous détrépiez Vous détrépiez les mauvaises habitudes. You were getting rid of the bad habits.
ils détrépaient Ils détrépaient les mauvaises herbes. They were removing the weeds.
elles détrépaient Elles détrépaient les vieilles affiches. They were removing the old posters.

Other Conjugations for Détréper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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