Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Introduction to the verb deviner
The English translation of the French verb “deviner” is “to guess” or “to divine.” The infinitive form, “deviner,” is pronounced as “duh-vee-neh.”
The word “deviner” comes from the Latin word “divinare,” which means “to predict” or “to divine.” In everyday French, “deviner” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to talk about past habits, ongoing actions, or descriptions in the past.
Here are three examples of “deviner” used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Quand j’étais enfant, je devinais toujours les cadeaux avant de les ouvrir. (When I was a child, I would always guess the presents before opening them.)
- Nous devinions le temps qu’il ferait en observant les nuages. (We used to guess the weather by looking at the clouds.)
- Tu devinais toujours ce que je voulais dire avant que je le dise. (You would always guess what I wanted to say before I said it.)
Note: In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing actions or habits in the past.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of deviner
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | devinais | Je devinais la réponse. | I was guessing the answer. |
tu | devinais | Tu devinais le résultat. | You were guessing the result. |
il | devinait | Il devinait le secret. | He was guessing the secret. |
elle | devinait | Elle devinait la solution. | She was guessing the solution. |
on | devinait | On devinait la vérité. | We were guessing the truth. |
nous | devinions | Nous devinions la signification. | We were guessing the meaning. |
vous | deviniez | Vous deviniez le mot. | You were guessing the word. |
ils | devinaient | Ils devinaient le nombre. | They were guessing the number. |
elles | devinaient | Elles devinaient le jeu. | They were guessing the game. |
Other Conjugations for Deviner.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviner
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Deviner – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
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