Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb diagnostiquer

Introduction to the verb diagnostiquer

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The English translation of the French verb “diagnostiquer” is “to diagnose.”

The infinitive form “diagnostiquer” is pronounced as [dee-ag-nos-tee-kay].

The language origin of “diagnostiquer” can be traced back to the Latin word “diagnōsticāre,” which means “to distinguish, to recognize.” In everyday French, “diagnostiquer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque semaine, le médecin diagnostiquait des maladies rares. (Every week, the doctor would diagnose rare diseases.)
  2. Pendant des années, il diagnostiquait les problèmes sans jamais trouver la cause. (For years, he would diagnose problems without ever finding the cause.)
  3. Quand j’étais enfant, mon père diagnostiquait souvent mes maladies. (When I was a child, my father would often diagnose my illnesses.)

Note: The imparfait tense in English is often translated as “used to” or “would” + base verb.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of diagnostiquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je diagnostiquais Je diagnostiquais les symptômes. I was diagnosing the symptoms.
tu diagnostiquais Tu diagnostiquais les maladies. You were diagnosing the illnesses.
il diagnostiquait Il diagnostiquait les problèmes. He was diagnosing the problems.
elle diagnostiquait Elle diagnostiquait les blessures. She was diagnosing the injuries.
on diagnostiquait On diagnostiquait les troubles. We were diagnosing the disorders.
nous diagnostiquions Nous diagnostiquions les patients. We were diagnosing the patients.
vous diagnostiquiez Vous diagnostiquiez les infections. You were diagnosing the infections.
ils diagnostiquaient Ils diagnostiquaient les conditions. They were diagnosing the conditions.
elles diagnostiquaient Elles diagnostiquaient les allergies. They were diagnosing the allergies.

Other Conjugations for Diagnostiquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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