Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dodiner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dodiner

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The English translation of the French verb “dodiner” is “to nod.” The infinitive form of “dodiner” is pronounced as “doh-dee-nay.”

The origin of the verb “dodiner” can be traced back to the Latin word “donare,” which means “to give.” In everyday French, “dodiner” is most commonly used in the imparfait tense, which expresses ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

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

  1. Chaque fois que je l’appelais, il dodinait de la tête.
    (Whenever I called him, he would nod his head.)

  2. Quand nous étions fatigués, nous dodinions en classe.
    (When we were tired, we used to nod off in class.)

  3. Tous les soirs, mon grand-père s’installait dans son fauteuil et dodinait doucement.
    (Every evening, my grandfather would settle into his armchair and gently nod off.)

These examples illustrate the use of “dodiner” to describe repeated or ongoing nodding actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dodiner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dodelinais Je dodelinais la tête. I nodded my head.
tu dodelinais Tu dodelinais en écoutant. You nodded while listening.
il dodelinait Il dodelinait de la tête. He nodded his head.
elle dodelinait Elle dodelinait en signe d’approbation. She nodded in agreement.
on dodelinait On dodelinait en rythme. We nodded in rhythm.
nous dodelinions Nous dodelinions en chantant. We nodded while singing.
vous dodeliniez Vous dodeliniez pour saluer. You nodded to greet.
ils dodelinaient Ils dodelinaient en discutant. They nodded while discussing.
elles dodelinaient Elles dodelinaient en classe. They nodded in class.

Other Conjugations for Dodiner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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