Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déboulonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déboulonner

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The English translation of the French verb “déboulonner” is “to unbolt” or “to unscrew.” The infinitive form “déboulonner” is pronounced as [deh-boo-loh-neh].

The word “déboulonner” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which indicates reversal or removal) and the noun “boulon” (meaning bolt). Therefore, it literally means “to remove or take out bolts.” It is often used in everyday French to describe the action of unfastening or unscrewing something, often with the use of tools such as a wrench or a spanner.

Here are three examples of the verb “déboulonner” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, il déboulonnait les plaques d’immatriculation avant de prendre la route.
    (Every morning, he used to unscrew the license plates before hitting the road.)

  2. Nous déboulonnions lentement les écrous rouillés pour démonter la vieille structure.
    (We were slowly unscrewing the rusty nuts to dismantle the old structure.)

  3. Pendant la réparation, le mécanicien déboulonnait les pièces défectueuses avec précaution.
    (While repairing, the mechanic was carefully unbolting the faulty parts.)

Note: The imparfait tense indicates past habitual or continuous actions in French.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déboulonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déboulonnais Je déboulonnais le moteur. I was unscrewing the engine.
tu déboulonnais Tu déboulonnais les écrous. You were unscrewing the nuts.
il déboulonnait Il déboulonnait la roue. He was unscrewing the wheel.
elle déboulonnait Elle déboulonnait la plaque. She was unscrewing the plate.
on déboulonnait On déboulonnait les boulons. We were unscrewing the bolts.
nous déboulonnions Nous déboulonnions les pièces. We were unscrewing the parts.
vous déboulonniez Vous déboulonniez le support. You were unscrewing the support.
ils déboulonnaient Ils déboulonnaient la structure. They were unscrewing the structure.
elles déboulonnaient Elles déboulonnaient les barres. They were unscrewing the bars.

Other Conjugations for Déboulonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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