devoir imparfait conjugation
Devoir (to have to/must) in the imparfait: devais, devais, devait, devions, deviez, devaient.
Imparfait Imperfect
| je | |
|---|---|
| tu | |
| il/elle/on | |
| nous | |
| vous | |
| ils/elles |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the imparfait
The imparfait describes the past as background: habits (“used to”), ongoing actions (“was doing”), descriptions and states. Être is the only verb with an irregular imparfait stem (ét-).
How it is formed
Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons and add ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient: nous finissons → je finissais.
Devoir is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above).
Devoir in a sentence
- Je dois partir maintenant.I must leave now.
- Elle devait finir son travail.She had to finish her work.
Irregular modal verb; also means 'to owe' when used with a noun.
FAQ
What is the imparfait of devoir?
Devoir in the French imparfait: je devais, tu devais, il/elle/on devait, nous devions, vous deviez, ils/elles devaient.
Is devoir irregular in the imparfait?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: je devais; tu devais; il/elle/on devait; nous devions; vous deviez; ils/elles devaient.
When do you use the French imparfait?
The imparfait describes the past as background: habits (“used to”), ongoing actions (“was doing”), descriptions and states. Être is the only verb with an irregular imparfait stem (ét-).
How is the imparfait formed?
Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons and add ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient: nous finissons → je finissais.
Full devoir conjugation, all tenses →
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