Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en débarrasser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb en débarrasser

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The English translation of the French verb “en débarrasser” is “to get rid of it” or “to dispose of it.” The infinitive form, “débarrasser,” is pronounced as [de-ba-ra-se].

The verb “en débarrasser” is derived from the French word “débarrasser,” which means “to clear” or “to rid.” The addition of “en” to the verb creates a reflexive form, indicating that the subject is getting rid of something. In everyday French, this verb is often used in the imparfait tense to express a continuous or habitual action in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je m’en débarrassais tous les jours. (I used to get rid of it every day.)
  2. Tu t’en débarrassais avant de partir. (You used to get rid of it before leaving.)
  3. Ils s’en débarrassaient dès qu’ils le pouvaient. (They used to get rid of it as soon as they could.)

English translations:

  1. I used to get rid of it every day.
  2. You used to get rid of it before leaving.
  3. They used to get rid of it as soon as they could.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of en débarrasser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je en débarrassais J’en débarrassais tous les jours. I used to get rid of it every day.
tu en débarrassais Tu en débarrassais les assiettes. You used to get rid of the plates.
il en débarrassait Il en débarrassait la chambre. He used to get rid of it in the room.
elle en débarrassait Elle en débarrassait la table. She used to get rid of it from the table.
on en débarrassait On en débarrassait les déchets. We used to get rid of the waste.
nous en débarrassions Nous en débarrassions les placards. We used to get rid of it from the cupboards.
vous en débarrassiez Vous en débarrassiez les vêtements. You used to get rid of it from the clothes.
ils en débarrassaient Ils en débarrassaient les objets. They used to get rid of the objects.
elles en débarrassaient Elles en débarrassaient les jouets. They used to get rid of it from the toys.

Other Conjugations for En Débarrasser.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb en débarrasser

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

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en débarrasser

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

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en débarrasser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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En Débarrasser – 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 en débarrasser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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