Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb digresser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb digresser

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The English translation of the French verb “digresser” is “to digress.” The infinitive form “digresser” is pronounced as [di-ɡʁe-se].

The word “digresser” has its origins in the Latin word “digressus,” which means “to go astray” or “to deviate.” In everyday French language, “digresser” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express a past action or habit of digressing or going off-topic.

Here are three examples of the usage of “digresser” in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque fois qu’il parlait devant un public, il digressait souvent.
    (Every time he spoke in front of an audience, he would often digress.)

  2. Pendant les réunions, elle digressait fréquemment, ce qui faisait perdre du temps à tout le monde.
    (During the meetings, she would frequently digress, which caused everyone to lose time.)

  3. Quand j’étais étudiant, je digressais régulièrement lors de mes exposés oraux.
    (When I was a student, I would regularly digress during my oral presentations.)

Please note that in English, the imparfait tense is typically translated as the past continuous tense or as “used to + infinitive.”

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of digresser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je digressais Je digressais souvent lors de mes présentations. I would often digress during my presentations.
tu digressais Tu digressais pendant nos discussions. You would digress during our conversations.
il digressait Il digressait de son sujet principal. He would digress from his main topic.
elle digressait Elle digressait lors de ses discours. She would digress during her speeches.
on digressait On digressait fréquemment lors de nos réunions. We would often digress during our meetings.
nous digressions Nous digressions de temps en temps. We would digress from time to time.
vous digressiez Vous digressiez pendant vos présentations. You would digress during your presentations.
ils digressaient Ils digressaient régulièrement. They would digress regularly.
elles digressaient Elles digressaient pendant leurs conversations. They would digress during their conversations.

Other Conjugations for Digresser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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