Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décoloniser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décoloniser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of décoloniser. 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 “décoloniser” is “to decolonize.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “décoloniser” is: dey-koh-loh-nee-zay.

The word “décoloniser” originates from the French language. It is formed by adding the prefix “dé-” (which means “to undo” or “to remove”) to the word “coloniser” (to colonize). The verb is used to express the idea of undoing or ending the process of colonization.

In everyday French, the verb “décoloniser” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Pendant des années, ils décolonisaient l’Afrique. (For years, they were decolonizing Africa.)
  2. Nous décolonisions nos anciennes colonies en Asie. (We were decolonizing our former colonies in Asia.)
  3. Les mouvements indépendantistes décolonisaient progressivement le continent. (The independence movements were progressively decolonizing the continent.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décoloniser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décolonisais Je décolonisais mes idées. I was decolonizing my ideas.
tu décolonisais Tu décolonisais ton pays. You were decolonizing your country.
il décolonisait Il décolonisait les institutions. He was decolonizing the institutions.
elle décolonisait Elle décolonisait son esprit. She was decolonizing her mind.
on décolonisait On décolonisait la culture. We were decolonizing the culture.
nous décolonisions Nous décolonisions ensemble. We were decolonizing together.
vous décolonisiez Vous décolonisiez vos pratiques. You were decolonizing your practices.
ils décolonisaient Ils décolonisaient les territoires. They were decolonizing the territories.
elles décolonisaient Elles décolonisaient les mentalités. They were decolonizing mentalities.

Other Conjugations for Décoloniser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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