Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décentraliser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décentraliser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of décentraliser. 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 décentraliser is “to decentralize”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form décentraliser is: day-san-trah-lee-zay.

Décentraliser is derived from the French word “centraliser” which means “to centralize”. It is formed by adding the prefix “dé-” which conveys the idea of moving away or undoing. Therefore, décentraliser refers to the act of moving away from centralization or redistributing power and authority.

In everyday French, décentraliser in the imparfait tense is commonly used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It can also be used to express a habitual action or a state of being in the past.

Examples of décentraliser in the imparfait tense:

  1. Nous décentralisions notre système éducatif.
    (We were decentralizing our educational system.)
  2. La société décentralisait ses activités pour favoriser les régions.
    (The company was decentralizing its activities to promote the regions.)
  3. Ils décentralisaient le pouvoir politique vers les collectivités locales.
    (They were decentralizing political power to local authorities.)

English translations:

  1. We were decentralizing our educational system.
  2. The company was decentralizing its activities to promote the regions.
  3. They were decentralizing political power to local authorities.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décentraliser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décentralisais Je décentralisais l’administration. I was decentralizing the administration.
tu décentralisais Tu décentralisais les décisions. You were decentralizing the decisions.
il décentralisait Il décentralisait le pouvoir. He was decentralizing the power.
elle décentralisait Elle décentralisait les responsabilités. She was decentralizing the responsibilities.
on décentralisait On décentralisait la gestion. We were decentralizing the management.
nous décentralisions Nous décentralisions les activités. We were decentralizing the activities.
vous décentralisiez Vous décentralisiez les opérations. You were decentralizing the operations.
ils décentralisaient Ils décentralisaient les services. They were decentralizing the services.
elles décentralisaient Elles décentralisaient les ressources. They were decentralizing the resources.

Other Conjugations for Décentraliser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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