Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déchaîner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déchaîner

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The English translation of the French verb “déchaîner” is “to unleash” or “to unleash oneself.” The infinitive form “déchaîner” is pronounced as “dey-sheyn-ay.”

The verb “déchaîner” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” indicating “un-” or “de-” and the noun “chaîne” meaning “chain.” It is most often used in everyday French to express the action of unleashing or setting free something or someone, both literally and figuratively.

Here are three examples of the usage of “déchaîner” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, le vent se déchaînait sur la côte.
    (Every evening, the wind would unleash itself on the coast.)
  2. Quand elle était en colère, elle se déchaînait verbalement.
    (When she was angry, she would unleash herself verbally.)
  3. Pendant la révolution, la population se déchaînait contre l’aristocratie.
    (During the revolution, the population would unleash itself against the aristocracy.)

In these examples, the verb “déchaîner” in the imparfait tense is used to describe recurring or ongoing actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déchaîner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déchaînais Je déchaînais ma colère. I unleashed my anger.
tu déchaînais Tu déchaînais ta passion. You unleashed your passion.
il déchaînait Il déchaînait sa créativité. He unleashed his creativity.
elle déchaînait Elle déchaînait sa puissance. She unleashed her power.
on déchaînait On déchaînait les éléments. We unleashed the elements.
nous déchaînions Nous déchaînions notre enthousiasme. We unleashed our enthusiasm.
vous déchaîniez Vous déchaîniez votre joie. You unleashed your joy.
ils déchaînaient Ils déchaînaient leur colère. They unleashed their anger.
elles déchaînaient Elles déchaînaient leur passion. They unleashed their passion.

Other Conjugations for Déchaîner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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