Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déballer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déballer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déballer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb déballer is “to unpack.” The infinitive form déballer is pronounced as “day-bal-ay.”

Déballer comes from the Latin word “disballare,” which means “to disperse.” In everyday French, déballer is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. The imparfait tense in French is used to describe past continuous actions, states, or descriptions.

Here are three examples of déballer used in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque fois que j’allais chez ma grand-mère, je déballais mes jouets dans le salon.
    (Every time I went to my grandmother’s house, I would unpack my toys in the living room.)
  2. Quand j’étais étudiant, je déballais mes affaires dès que je rentrais à la maison.
    (When I was a student, I used to unpack my belongings as soon as I got home.)
  3. Nous déballions nos valises en riant, car nous savions que les vacances venaient de commencer.
    (We unpacked our suitcases while laughing because we knew the holidays had just begun.)

Note: Please keep in mind that the translation and context may vary depending on the specific sentence or context in which déballer is used.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déballer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déballais Je déballais mes affaires. I was unpacking my things.
tu déballais Tu déballais les cadeaux. You were unwrapping the presents.
il déballait Il déballait ses bagages. He was unpacking his luggage.
elle déballait Elle déballait les cartons. She was unpacking the boxes.
on déballait On déballait les provisions. We were unpacking the provisions.
nous déballions Nous déballions nos valises. We were unpacking our suitcases.
vous déballiez Vous déballiez les articles. You were unpacking the items.
ils déballaient Ils déballaient les marchandises. They were unpacking the merchandise.
elles déballaient Elles déballaient les affiches. They were unpacking the posters.

Other Conjugations for Déballer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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