Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détrousser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détrousser

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The English translation of the French verb “détrousser” is “to rob” or “to strip”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-troo-say”.

The word “détrousser” originates from the Old French word “trousse” which means “a bundle” or “a pack”. The prefix “dé-” intensifies the action, so “détrousser” can be understood as “to strip someone of their belongings” or “to forcefully take someone’s possessions”.

In everyday French, the verb “détrousser” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It is commonly used to talk about robberies, thefts, or situations where someone was stripped of their belongings.

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

  1. Chaque nuit, il détroussait les passants dans les ruelles sombres.
    (Every night, he used to rob/strip passers-by in dark alleys.)

  2. Pendant la guerre, les soldats ennemis détroussaient les villages qu’ils traversaient.
    (During the war, the enemy soldiers would rob/strip the villages they passed through.)

  3. Quand j’étais petit, je me faisais souvent détrousser par les plus grands à l’école.
    (When I was little, I would often get robbed/stripped by the older kids at school.)

English translations:

  1. Every night, he used to rob/strip passers-by in dark alleys.
  2. During the war, the enemy soldiers would rob/strip the villages they passed through.
  3. When I was little, I would often get robbed/stripped by the older kids at school.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of détrousser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je détroussais Je détroussais les voleurs. I was robbing the thieves.
tu détroussais Tu détroussais les victimes. You were robbing the victims.
il détroussait Il détroussait les passants. He was robbing the passersby.
elle détroussait Elle détroussait les touristes. She was robbing the tourists.
on détroussait On détroussait les riches. We were robbing the rich.
nous détroussions Nous détroussions les bandits. We were robbing the bandits.
vous détroussiez Vous détroussiez les criminels. You were robbing the criminals.
ils détroussaient Ils détroussaient les commerçants. They were robbing the shopkeepers.
elles détroussaient Elles détroussaient les voyageurs. They were robbing the travelers.

Other Conjugations for Détrousser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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