Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déclasser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déclasser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déclasser. 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 déclasser is “to demote” or “to downgrade.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form déclasser is “day-kla-say.”

Déclasser originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which generally indicates a reversal or negation) and the verb “classer” (meaning “to classify” or “to rank”). It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of moving someone or something to a lower rank, status, or class.

Examples of déclasser in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je le déclassais régulièrement lors des compétitions.
    Translation: I would regularly demote him during the competitions.

  2. Pendant la crise économique, l’entreprise déclassait plusieurs employés.
    Translation: During the economic crisis, the company was demoting several employees.

  3. Mon professeur de français me déclassait souvent en raison de mes fautes d’orthographe.
    Translation: My French teacher would often downgrade me because of my spelling mistakes.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déclasser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déclassais Je déclassais les élèves. I was downgrading the students.
tu déclassais Tu déclassais ton adversaire. You were downgrading your opponent.
il déclassait Il déclassait l’équipe adverse. He was downgrading the opposing team.
elle déclassait Elle déclassait son concurrent. She was downgrading her competitor.
on déclassait On déclassait les produits. We were downgrading the products.
nous déclassions Nous déclassions la catégorie. We were downgrading the category.
vous déclassiez Vous déclassiez les concurrents. You were downgrading the competitors.
ils déclassaient Ils déclassaient leurs rivaux. They were downgrading their rivals.
elles déclassaient Elles déclassaient leurs adversaires. They were downgrading their opponents.

Other Conjugations for Déclasser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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