Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déchiffonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déchiffonner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déchiffonner. 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 déchiffonner is “to crumple” or “to uncrumple.” The infinitive form “déchiffonner” is pronounced as “day-shee-fon-ay.”

The word “déchiffonner” comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating the reversal or undoing of an action) and the verb “chiffonner” (meaning “to crumple” or “to wrinkle”). It is primarily used in everyday French to describe the action of removing wrinkles or creases from clothes, fabric, or other objects.

Examples of déchiffonner in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque matin, je déchiffonnais mes vêtements avant de les enfiler.
    (Every morning, I would uncrumple my clothes before putting them on.)

  2. Quand j’étais jeune, ma mère déchiffonnait toujours mes draps avant de les mettre sur le lit.
    (When I was young, my mother would always uncrumple my sheets before putting them on the bed.)

  3. Pendant la réunion, elle déchiffonnait nerveusement son mouchoir en papier.
    (During the meeting, she would nervously crumple and uncrumple her tissue paper.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déchiffonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déchiffonnais Je déchiffonnais ma chemise. I was crumpling my shirt.
tu déchiffonnais Tu déchiffonnais le papier. You were crumpling the paper.
il déchiffonnait Il déchiffonnait ses vêtements. He was crumpling his clothes.
elle déchiffonnait Elle déchiffonnait sa robe. She was crumpling her dress.
on déchiffonnait On déchiffonnait les draps. We were crumpling the sheets.
nous déchiffonnions Nous déchiffonnions les serviettes. We were crumpling the napkins.
vous déchiffonniez Vous déchiffonniez les rideaux. You were crumpling the curtains.
ils déchiffonnaient Ils déchiffonnaient les papiers. They were crumpling the papers.
elles déchiffonnaient Elles déchiffonnaient les lettres. They were crumpling the letters.

Other Conjugations for Déchiffonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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