Décrivions

Décrivions is a French verb form derived from décrire. It is the 1st person plural form of the verb in two distinct grammatical moods and tenses, depending on context.

In the imperfect indicative (l’imparfait), nous décrivions means “we described” or “we were describing.” This use expresses a past action that was ongoing or habitual in the narrative. For example: Nous décrivions le paysage quand il est tombé de la brume. In this sense, the form articulates description within a past timeline.

In the present subjunctive, the form que nous décrivions appears in subordinate clauses and means “that we describe” or “that we are describing.” This usage is more common in formal or literary French and often follows expressions of necessity, possibility, doubt, or desire.

Conjugation notes: Décrire is a irregular -re verb. Its present indicative forms include je décris, tu décris, il décrit, nous décrivons, vous décrivez, ils décrivent; the past participle is décrit. The form décrivions is thus shared by at least two moods/tenses, making context essential for interpretation.

Etymology: décrire comes from the Latin describere, meaning “to write down, to describe.”

Usage considerations: Because of the identical spelling in imperfect indicative and present subjunctive, readers rely on surrounding verbs and punctuation to disambiguate. In everyday speech, the imperfect indicative is far more common; the present subjunctive form appears mainly in written or formal contexts.