Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déboussoler

Introduction to the verb déboussoler

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The English translation of the French verb déboussoler is “to disorient” or “to unsettle”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-boo-so-lay”.

Déboussoler comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “dis-” or “un-“) and the word “boussole” (meaning “compass”). Its language origin can be traced back to the 19th century, where it was initially used in the sense of disrupting the orientation of a compass needle. Over time, its usage expanded to describe the state of feeling mentally or emotionally unsettled or disoriented.

In everyday French, déboussoler is often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repetitive actions or states of being in the past. It emphasizes a state of disorientation or confusion that persisted over a period of time.

Examples of déboussoler in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque fois que je me rendais dans cette ville étrangère, cela me déboussolait. (Every time I visited that foreign city, it would disorient me.)
  2. Sa réponse évasive me déboussolait, je ne savais pas quoi penser. (His evasive answer was unsettling me; I didn’t know what to think.)
  3. L’arrivée de tous ces invités à la fois déboussolait la famille. (The arrival of all these guests at once was unsettling the family.)

English translations:

  1. Every time I visited that foreign city, it would disorient me.
  2. His evasive answer was unsettling me; I didn’t know what to think.
  3. The arrival of all these guests at once was unsettling the family.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déboussoler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déboussolais Je déboussolais facilement. I used to get disoriented easily.
tu déboussolais Tu déboussolais tes amis. You used to disorient your friends.
il déboussolait Il déboussolait tout le monde. He used to disorient everyone.
elle déboussolait Elle déboussolait ses collègues. She used to disorient her colleagues.
on déboussolait On déboussolait les passagers. We used to disorient the passengers.
nous déboussolions Nous déboussolions les visiteurs. We used to disorient the visitors.
vous déboussoliez Vous déboussoliez la population. You used to disorient the population.
ils déboussolaient Ils déboussolaient leurs adversaires. They used to disorient their opponents.
elles déboussolaient Elles déboussolaient les enfants. They used to disorient the children.

Other Conjugations for Déboussoler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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