Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb diverger

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb diverger

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The English translation of the French verb “diverger” is “to diverge” or “to differ.” The infinitive form “diverger” is pronounced as dee-vair-jay.

The verb “diverger” in French has its origin in the Latin word “divergere,” which means “to separate, to go in different directions.” In everyday French, the verb “diverger” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express ongoing or repeated divergence or differences in opinions, ideas, paths, or paths of thinking.

Here are three simple examples illustrating the usage of “diverger” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Nous divergions souvent sur ce sujet.
    English translation: We used to often differ on this subject.

  2. Pendant les réunions, leurs opinions divergeaient toujours.
    English translation: During the meetings, their opinions always diverged.

  3. Les deux auteurs divergeaient quant à la fin du livre.
    English translation: The two authors differed regarding the ending of the book.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of diverger

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je divergeais Je divergeais des autres. I was diverging from others.
tu divergeais Tu divergeais de la norme. You were diverging from the norm.
il divergeait Il divergeait de sa famille. He was diverging from his family.
elle divergeait Elle divergeait de ses amis. She was diverging from her friends.
on divergeait On divergeait des autres. We were diverging from others.
nous divergions Nous divergions dans nos opinions. We were diverging in our opinions.
vous divergiez Vous divergiez sur le sujet. You were diverging on the topic.
ils divergeaient Ils divergeaient dans leurs choix. They were diverging in their choices.
elles divergeaient Elles divergeaient dans leurs décisions. They were diverging in their decisions.

Other Conjugations for Diverger.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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