dépassaient
Dépassaient is the imperfect indicative form of the French verb dépasser, used for the third person plural (ils/elles). The meaning depends on context, generally translating to “they were surpassing,” “they exceeded,” or “they were going beyond.” It denotes an action or a state that occurred over an extended period in the past, or a recurring past activity in narrative or descriptive prose.
Grammatical notes: Dépassaient comes from the stem dépass- combined with the imperfect endings -ais, -ais, -ait,
Semantic range: The verb dépasser encompasses several related senses: to overtake someone or something (in a
Usage notes: Dépassaient is frequently found in historical or narrative contexts, as well as in analytical
Etymology: Dépasser derives from dé- plus passer, with the prefix dé- indicating going beyond, and the root