Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débanaliser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débanaliser

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The English translation of the French verb “débanaliser” is “to make less banal” or “to debunk.” The infinitive form, which means the base form of the verb, is pronounced as “day-bah-na-lee-zay.”

The word “débanaliser” is derived from the French noun “banal” (meaning “common” or “ordinary”) and the prefix “dé-“, which indicates negation or reversal. It is used to describe the action of making something less commonplace or challenging commonly held beliefs or assumptions.

In everyday French, the verb “débanaliser” in the imparfait tense (imperfect tense in English) is used to express continuous or repeated actions in the past or to set the background for another event. It often describes a state, habit, or ongoing action that occurred in the past.

Here are three simple examples of “débanaliser” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je débanalisais les contes de fées en les réinventant. (When I was a child, I would make fairy tales less banal by reinventing them.)
  2. Ils débanalisaient les idées reçues en remettant en question les normes sociales. (They were debunking common ideas by questioning social norms.)
  3. Chaque semaine, nous débanalisions les recettes traditionnelles en y ajoutant notre touche personnelle. (Every week, we would make traditional recipes less banal by adding our personal touch.)

Note: The imparfait tense in English is often translated as both the simple past tense (“would” + verb) and the continuous past tense (“was/were” + verb + “-ing”) depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of débanaliser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je débanalisais Je débanalisais ma routine. I was making my routine less ordinary.
tu débanalisais Tu débanalisais ton style. You were making your style less ordinary.
il débanalisait Il débanalisait sa cuisine. He was making his kitchen less ordinary.
elle débanalisait Elle débanalisait sa tenue. She was making her outfit less ordinary.
on débanalisait On débanalisait cette tradition. We were making this tradition less ordinary.
nous débanalisions Nous débanalisions nos habitudes. We were making our habits less ordinary.
vous débanalisiez Vous débanalisiez votre discours. You were making your speech less ordinary.
ils débanalisaient Ils débanalisaient leurs chambres. They were making their rooms less ordinary.
elles débanalisaient Elles débanalisaient leurs sorties. They were making their outings less ordinary.

Other Conjugations for Débanaliser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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