Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décliqueter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décliqueter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of décliqueter. 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 décliqueter is “to unclip” or “to unfasten.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “décliqueter” is: day-klee-keh-teh.

The word décliqueter is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating reversal) and the verb “cliqueter” (to click), resulting in the action of undoing or unfastening something that has been clicked or fastened. It is most often used to describe the action of unclipping or unfastening various objects or mechanisms.

In everyday French, décliqueter in the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Je décliquetais toujours ma ceinture de sécurité en sortant de la voiture.
    (I used to always unclip my seatbelt when getting out of the car.)

  2. Nous décliquetaient les barrières pour entrer dans le stade.
    (We used to unfasten the barriers to enter the stadium.)

  3. Tu décliquetais les attaches du sac à dos chaque fois que tu arrivais à l’école.
    (You used to unclip the backpack straps every time you arrived at school.)

Please note that the translations provided are not literal word-for-word translations, but rather convey the meaning and intent of the sentences in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décliqueter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décliquetais Je décliquetais la boîte. I was unclicking the box.
tu décliquetais Tu décliquetais les boutons. You were unclicking the buttons.
il décliquetait Il décliquetait le stylo. He was unclicking the pen.
elle décliquetait Elle décliquetait la télécommande. She was unclicking the remote control.
on décliquetait On décliquetait les serrures. We were unclicking the locks.
nous décliquetions Nous décliquetions les attaches. We were unclicking the fasteners.
vous décliquetiez Vous décliquetiez les fermetures. You were unclicking the closures.
ils décliquetaient Ils décliquetaient les boîtiers. They were unclicking the casings.
elles décliquetaient Elles décliquetaient les interrupteurs. They were unclicking the switches.

Other Conjugations for Décliqueter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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