Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décadenasser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décadenasser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of décadenasser. 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 décadenasser is “to unlock.” The infinitive form, décadenasser, is pronounced as “day-kah-deh-nah-say.”

Décadenasser is a compound verb formed by combining “dé-” (a prefix indicating removal or reversal of an action) with “cadenasser” (to padlock or lock up). It is used to describe the action of unlocking or unfastening something that has been locked or padlocked.

In everyday French, décadenasser is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe past ongoing actions or states. The imparfait tense is used to express habits, repeated actions, or descriptions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of décadenasser in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, je décadenassais la porte de mon bureau. (Every morning, I unlocked the door to my office.)
  2. Nous décadenassions les vélos avant de partir en balade. (We used to unlock the bikes before going for a ride.)
  3. Pendant nos vacances, tu décadenassais toujours la valise pour chercher quelque chose. (During our vacation, you would always unlock the suitcase to look for something.)

Please note that the imparfait tense is often used in conjunction with other tenses to provide more context or to indicate a specific time frame. These examples illustrate the usage of décadenasser in the imparfait tense alone to highlight ongoing past actions.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décadenasser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décadenassais Je décadenassais la porte. I was unlocking the door.
tu décadenassais Tu décadenassais le coffre. You were unlocking the safe.
il décadenassait Il décadenassait la boîte. He was unlocking the box.
elle décadenassait Elle décadenassait la valise. She was unlocking the suitcase.
on décadenassait On décadenassait la porte. We were unlocking the door.
nous décadenassions Nous décadenassions les serrures. We were unlocking the locks.
vous décadenassiez Vous décadenassiez les portes. You were unlocking the doors.
ils décadenassaient Ils décadenassaient les cages. They were unlocking the cages.
elles décadenassaient Elles décadenassaient les vélos. They were unlocking the bikes.

Other Conjugations for Décadenasser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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