Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décapeler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décapeler

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The English translation of the French verb décapeler is “to take off the cap” or “to remove the cap.” The infinitive form décapeler is pronounced as “deh-kah-peh-leh.”

Décapeler is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “remove” or “undo”) and the noun “cap” (meaning “cap” or “lid”). It is most commonly used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe past habitual actions or ongoing past actions. The imparfait tense is used to set the scene or provide background information in a narrative context.

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

  1. Chaque matin, elle décapelait le flacon avant de l’utiliser.
    (Every morning, she would take off the cap of the bottle before using it.)
  2. Quand nous étions enfants, nous décapelions les tubes de dentifrice ensemble.
    (When we were children, we would remove the caps of toothpaste tubes together.)
  3. Pendant l’été dernier, tu décapelais toujours les bouteilles avant de les mettre au réfrigérateur.
    (During last summer, you would always take off the caps of the bottles before putting them in the fridge.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décapeler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décapelais Je décapelais la bouteille. I was opening the bottle.
tu décapelais Tu décapelais le pot. You were opening the jar.
il décapelait Il décapelait la boîte. He was opening the can.
elle décapelait Elle décapelait le contenant. She was opening the container.
on décapelait On décapelait les bocaux. We were opening the jars.
nous décapelions Nous décapelions les conserves. We were opening the preserves.
vous décapeliez Vous décapeliez la canette. You were opening the can.
ils décapelaient Ils décapelaient les bouteilles. They were opening the bottles.
elles décapelaient Elles décapelaient les pots. They were opening the jars.

Other Conjugations for Décapeler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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