Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décacheter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décacheter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of décacheter. 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 décacheter is “to unseal/open (an envelope)”. The infinitive form “décacheter” is pronounced as “deh-kah-shu-teh”.

Décacheter comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “un-” or “de-“) and the verb “cacher” (meaning “to hide”). It is formed by adding the prefix “dé-” to the verb “cacher”, and thus signifies the action of undoing the hiding or sealing of something, specifically related to envelopes or letters.

In everyday French, décacheter is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past. It can refer to the repetitive act of unsealing envelopes or letters over a period of time.

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

  1. Chaque matin, je décachetais les lettres avant de commencer ma journée.
    (Every morning, I would unseal/open the letters before starting my day.)

  2. Pendant mes années d’études, je décachetais les enveloppes contenant mes résultats avec appréhension.
    (During my years of study, I would unseal/open the envelopes containing my results with apprehension.)

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, je décachetais les lettres du Père Noël avec excitation.
    (When I was a child, I would unseal/open the letters from Santa Claus with excitement.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décacheter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décachetais Je décachetais la lettre. I was opening the letter.
tu décachetais Tu décachetais le colis. You were opening the package.
il décachetait Il décachetait les documents. He was opening the documents.
elle décachetait Elle décachetait l’enveloppe. She was opening the envelope.
on décachetait On décachetait les lettres. We were opening the letters.
nous décachetions Nous décachetions les cartes. We were opening the cards.
vous décachetiez Vous décachetiez les paquets. You were opening the packages.
ils décachetaient Ils décachetaient les colis. They were opening the packages.
elles décachetaient Elles décachetaient les enveloppes. They were opening the envelopes.

Other Conjugations for Décacheter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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