Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb diligenter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb diligenter

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The English translation of the French verb “diligenter” is “to expedite” or “to speed up.” The infinitive form, “diligenter,” is pronounced as dee-lee-zhan-tay.

The word “diligenter” has its origins in the Latin word “diligentare,” which means “to be diligent.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Je diligentai mes travaux tous les soirs. (I used to expedite my work every evening.)
  2. Nous diligentions notre recherche depuis des semaines. (We were speeding up our research for weeks.)
  3. Ils diligentaient leurs révisions régulièrement. (They used to expedite their revisions regularly.)

In these examples, “diligenter” is used to express the continuous or habitual action of speeding up, expediting, or being diligent in various activities.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of diligenter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je diligentai Je diligentai mes devoirs. I was carrying out my duties.
tu diligentai Tu diligentai ton travail. You were carrying out your work.
il diligentai Il diligentai ses responsabilités. He was carrying out his responsibilities.
elle diligentai Elle diligentai ses tâches. She was carrying out her tasks.
on diligentai On diligentai nos projets. We were carrying out our projects.
nous diligentions Nous diligentions nos recherches. We were carrying out our research.
vous diligentiiez Vous diligentiiez vos enquêtes. You were carrying out your investigations.
ils diligentaient Ils diligentaient leurs dossiers. They were carrying out their files.
elles diligentaient Elles diligentaient leurs demandes. They were carrying out their requests.

Other Conjugations for Diligenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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