Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décapsuler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décapsuler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of décapsuler. 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 “décapsuler” is “to open (a bottle) or to remove the cap.”

The infinitive form “décapsuler” is pronounced as “day-kap-suh-ley.”

The word “décapsuler” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating a reversal or removal) and the noun “capsule” (meaning cap). It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of opening a bottle or removing a cap, especially from a beverage bottle.

Examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque soir, nous décapsulions une bouteille de vin pour le dîner.
    Translation: Every evening, we used to open a bottle of wine for dinner.

  2. Quand j’étais enfant, je décapsulais les bouteilles de soda pour mes amis.
    Translation: When I was a child, I would open soda bottles for my friends.

  3. Pendant le pique-nique, nous décapsulions les bouteilles de bière pour en profiter.
    Translation: During the picnic, we would open beer bottles to enjoy them.

These examples show the usage of “décapsuler” in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décapsuler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décapsulais Je décapsulais la bouteille. I was opening the bottle cap.
tu décapsulais Tu décapsulais les canettes. You were opening the cans.
il décapsulait Il décapsulait la bière. He was opening the beer.
elle décapsulait Elle décapsulait les boissons. She was opening the drinks.
on décapsulait On décapsulait les bouteilles. We were opening the bottles.
nous décapsulions Nous décapsulions toutes les boissons. We were opening all the drinks.
vous décapsuliez Vous décapsuliez les sodas. You were opening the sodas.
ils décapsulaient Ils décapsulaient les bouteilles de vin. They were opening the wine bottles.
elles décapsulaient Elles décapsulaient les bouteilles d’eau. They were opening the water bottles.

Other Conjugations for Décapsuler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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