Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dévier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dévier

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The English translation of the French verb “dévier” is “to deviate.” The infinitive form, “dévier,” is pronounced as “de-vi-ey.”

Language origin and everyday usage in the imparfait tense:
The verb “dévier” comes from the Latin word “deviare,” which means “to turn away.” In everyday French, “dévier” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Examples of dévier in the imparfait tense with English translations:

  1. Chaque fois qu’il conduisait, il déviait de la route.
    (Every time he was driving, he would deviate from the road.)
  2. L’enfant déviait souvent de son chemin lorsque personne ne le regardait.
    (The child would often deviate from his path when no one was watching.)
  3. Pendant l’orage, les avions déviaient de leur itinéraire habituel.
    (During the storm, the planes would deviate from their usual route.)

Note: The imparfait tense is used to describe actions or habits that were ongoing, repeated, or background events in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dévier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déviais Je déviais de ma trajectoire. I was deviating from my trajectory.
tu déviais Tu déviais de ton chemin. You were deviating from your path.
il déviait Il déviait son regard. He was diverting his gaze.
elle déviait Elle déviait ses pensées. She was diverting her thoughts.
on déviait On déviait des règles. We were diverting the rules.
nous déviions Nous déviions de notre itinéraire. We were deviating from our route.
vous déviiez Vous déviiez votre attention. You were diverting your attention.
ils déviaient Ils déviaient l’attention des autres. They were diverting the attention of others.
elles déviaient Elles déviaient leur chemin habituel. They were deviating from their usual path.

Other Conjugations for Dévier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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