Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dispatcher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dispatcher

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The English translation of the French verb “dispatcher” is “to dispatch” or “to send off.” The infinitive form of “dispatcher” is pronounced as [dis-pa-she].

The word “dispatcher” comes from the Old French word “despachier,” which means “to expedite” or “to send away.” It originated from the Latin word “dispachare,” which means “to send off.” In everyday French, “dispatcher” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past.

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

  1. Chaque matin, il dispatchait les colis. (Every morning, he used to dispatch the packages.)
  2. Pendant mes études, je dispatchais les commandes pour gagner de l’argent. (During my studies, I used to dispatch orders to earn money.)
  3. Nous dispatchions régulièrement des équipes sur le terrain. (We used to regularly dispatch teams in the field.)

Please note that the translations provided are not literal translations but convey the meaning of the sentences in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dispatcher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dispatchais Je dispatchais les colis. I was dispatching the parcels.
tu dispatchais Tu dispatchais les commandes. You were dispatching the orders.
il dispatchait Il dispatchait les camions. He was dispatching the trucks.
elle dispatchait Elle dispatchait les livraisons. She was dispatching the deliveries.
on dispatchait On dispatchait les marchandises. We were dispatching the goods.
nous dispatchions Nous dispatchions les produits. We were dispatching the products.
vous dispatchiez Vous dispatchiez les colis. You were dispatching the parcels.
ils dispatchaient Ils dispatchaient les paquets. They were dispatching the packages.
elles dispatchaient Elles dispatchaient les lettres. They were dispatching the letters.

Other Conjugations for Dispatcher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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