Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dévaser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dévaser

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The English translation of the French verb dévaser is “to remove silt/to dredge.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-vah-zay.”

The verb dévaser comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” which indicates the removal of something, and the noun “vase” which means “silt” or “mud.” It is derived from the Old French word “vase” meaning “mud” or “marsh.”

In everyday French, dévaser is often used in the imparfait tense to describe past ongoing or habitual actions. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque année, le fleuve dévasait ses rives. (Every year, the river used to dredge its banks.)
  2. Pendant mon enfance, mon père dévasait régulièrement l’étang. (During my childhood, my father would regularly dredge the pond.)
  3. Nous dévasions les canaux pour faciliter la navigation. (We used to dredge the canals to facilitate navigation.)

Please note that while the given translations convey the general meaning, the choice of the English verb may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dévaser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dévasais Je dévasais le pot. I was emptying the pot.
tu dévasais Tu dévasais la boîte. You were emptying the box.
il dévasait Il dévasait la bouteille. He was emptying the bottle.
elle dévasait Elle dévasait le sac. She was emptying the bag.
on dévasait On dévasait les tiroirs. We were emptying the drawers.
nous dévasions Nous dévasions les armoires. We were emptying the cabinets.
vous dévasiez Vous dévasiez les étagères. You were emptying the shelves.
ils dévasaient Ils dévasaient les cartons. They were emptying the boxes.
elles dévasaient Elles dévasaient les valises. They were emptying the suitcases.

Other Conjugations for Dévaser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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