Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déclouer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déclouer

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The English translation of the French verb “déclouer” is “to remove nails” or “to pull out nails.” The infinitive form “déclouer” is pronounced as “day-kloo-ay.”

The verb “déclouer” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating separation or reversal) and the noun “clou” (nail). It is a regular -er verb conjugated in the same way as other verbs ending in -er.

In everyday French, “déclouer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which expresses ongoing or repeated past actions. It is often used to describe the act of removing or pulling out nails in various contexts.

Here are three examples of “déclouer” in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque jour, je déclouais les planches du vieux hangar. (Every day, I would remove the planks from the old shed.)
  2. Pendant les travaux de rénovation, nous déclouions les lambris des murs. (During the renovation works, we were pulling out the panelings from the walls.)
  3. Quand j’étais enfant, mon père me laissait déclouer les planches du jardin. (When I was a child, my father would let me remove the planks from the garden.)

These examples illustrate the use of “déclouer” in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions of removing nails.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déclouer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déclouais Je déclouais le cadre. I was removing the nails.
tu déclouais Tu déclouais les planches. You were removing the planks.
il déclouait Il déclouait les étagères. He was removing the shelves.
elle déclouait Elle déclouait les affiches. She was removing the posters.
on déclouait On déclouait les tissus. We were removing the fabrics.
nous déclouions Nous déclouions les clôtures. We were removing the fences.
vous déclouiez Vous déclouiez les poutres. You were removing the beams.
ils déclouaient Ils déclouaient les planchers. They were removing the floorboards.
elles déclouaient Elles déclouaient les tuiles. They were removing the tiles.

Other Conjugations for Déclouer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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