Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb daller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb daller

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The English translation of the French verb “daller” is “to go.” The infinitive form “daller” is pronounced as “da-lay.”

The verb “daller” does not exist in standard French. It is a slang or colloquial word commonly used in some regions, particularly in Marseille and the south of France. Its origin can be traced to the word “aller,” which means “to go” in French.

In everyday French, the verb “daller” is most often used in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Nous dallions au marché tous les samedis.
    (We used to go to the market every Saturday.)

  2. Tu dallais souvent chez tes amis.
    (You used to go to your friends’ place often.)

  3. Les enfants dallaient à l’école à pied.
    (The children used to go to school on foot.)

English translations:

  1. We used to go to the market every Saturday.
  2. You used to go to your friends’ place often.
  3. The children used to go to school on foot.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of daller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je allais J’allais au marché. I was going to the market.
tu allais Tu allais à l’école. You were going to school.
il allait Il allait au cinéma. He was going to the cinema.
elle allait Elle allait chez son ami. She was going to her friend’s house.
on allait On allait faire les courses. We were going grocery shopping.
nous allions Nous allions en vacances. We were going on vacation.
vous alliez Vous alliez au travail. You were going to work.
ils allaient Ils allaient à la piscine. They were going to the swimming pool.
elles allaient Elles allaient au parc. They were going to the park.

Other Conjugations for Daller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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