Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb doucher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb doucher

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The English translation of the French verb “doucher” is “to shower” or “to hose down.” The infinitive form “doucher” is pronounced as “doo-shay.”

The word “doucher” originates from the Old French word “douche,” which means “to wash or bathe.” It is most commonly used in everyday French to refer to taking a shower or using a hose to wash something or someone.

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

  1. Je me douchais tous les matins. (I used to shower every morning.)
  2. Tu douchais le chien après ses promenades. (You used to hose down the dog after its walks.)
  3. Nous douchions les plantes pour les rafraîchir. (We used to water the plants to refresh them.)

These sentences illustrate the use of “doucher” in the imparfait tense, which is often used to describe repeated or ongoing actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of doucher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je douchais Je me douchais tous les matins. I used to shower every morning.
tu douchais Tu te douchais rapidement. You used to shower quickly.
il douchait Il se douchait après le sport. He used to shower after sports.
elle douchait Elle se douchait avant de se coucher. She used to shower before going to bed.
on douchait On se douchait ensemble. We used to shower together.
nous douchions Nous nous douchions dans la salle de bains. We used to shower in the bathroom.
vous douchiez Vous vous douchiez longtemps. You used to shower for a long time.
ils douchaient Ils se douchaient après le travail. They used to shower after work.
elles douchaient Elles se douchaient le matin. They used to shower in the morning.

Other Conjugations for Doucher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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