Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déchagriner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déchagriner

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The English translation of the French verb déchagriner is “to cheer up” or “to brighten up.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form déchagriner is [de(sh)-a-gri-ney].

Déchagriner originated from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which often indicates the opposite of an action) and the word “chagrin” (meaning “grief” or “sorrow”). Therefore, déchagriner refers to the action of alleviating or dispelling someone’s sorrow or sadness.

In everyday French, déchagriner is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It implies the continuous effort of cheering someone up or creating a more cheerful atmosphere.

Here are three examples of déchagriner in the imparfait tense and their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, je déchagrinais mon ami en lui racontant des histoires drôles. (Every evening, I would cheer up my friend by telling him funny stories.)
  2. Quand j’étais triste, ma grand-mère me déchagrinait en me préparant mon dessert préféré. (When I was sad, my grandmother would cheer me up by making my favorite dessert.)
  3. Pendant les jours de pluie, les enfants déchagrinaient leur petite sœur en lui faisant des dessins colorés. (During rainy days, the children would cheer up their little sister by drawing colorful pictures for her.)

Note: The translations provided are approximate and may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déchagriner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déchagrinais Je déchagrinais mon ami. I was cheering up my friend.
tu déchagrinais Tu déchagrinais ta sœur. You were cheering up your sister.
il déchagrinait Il déchagrinait son chien. He was cheering up his dog.
elle déchagrinait Elle déchagrinait sa mère. She was cheering up her mother.
on déchagrinait On déchagrinait notre professeur. We were cheering up our teacher.
nous déchagrinions Nous déchagrinions nos amis. We were cheering up our friends.
vous déchagriniez Vous déchagriniez votre voisin. You were cheering up your neighbor.
ils déchaginaient Ils déchaginaient leurs camarades. They were cheering up their classmates.
elles déchaginaient Elles déchaginaient leurs parents. They were cheering up their parents.

Other Conjugations for Déchagriner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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