Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décalcariser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décalcariser

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The English translation of the French verb “décalcariser” is “to decalcify.” The infinitive form “décalcariser” is pronounced as “dey-kal-kah-ree-zay.”

The word “décalcariser” is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “undo” or “remove”) and “calcariser” (meaning “to calcify”). It refers to the action of removing or reversing the process of calcification in a substance or organism.

In everyday French, “décalcariser” is most often used in the imparfait tense when describing ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, je décalcarisais mes dents avec un produit spécial.
    (Every evening, I used to decalcify my teeth with a special product.)

  2. Il décalcarisait régulièrement les canalisations pour éviter les problèmes d’entartrage.
    (He used to regularly decalcify the pipes to avoid issues with scaling.)

  3. Nous décalcarisions nos électroménagers de temps en temps pour maintenir leur efficacité.
    (We used to decalcify our appliances from time to time to maintain their efficiency.)

Please note that the above examples are given in the imparfait tense, which denotes past actions that were ongoing or habitual. The translations provided are to give a general sense of the meaning, but they may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décalcariser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décalcarysais Je décalcarysais les canalisations. I was decalcifying the pipes.
tu décalcarysais Tu décalcarysais la bouilloire. You were decalcifying the kettle.
il décalcarysait Il décalcarysait le robinet. He was decalcifying the faucet.
elle décalcarysait Elle décalcarysait la cafetière. She was decalcifying the coffee maker.
on décalcarysait On décalcarysait les appareils électroménagers. We were decalcifying the appliances.
nous décalcarysions Nous décalcarysions les tuyaux. We were decalcifying the pipes.
vous décalcarysiez Vous décalcarysiez la douche. You were decalcifying the shower.
ils décalcarysaient Ils décalcarysaient les éviers. They were decalcifying the sinks.
elles décalcarysaient Elles décalcarysaient les machines à laver. They were decalcifying the washing machines.

Other Conjugations for Décalcariser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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