Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décompresser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décompresser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of décompresser. 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 “décompresser” is “to relax” or “to unwind”. The infinitive form of “décompresser” is pronounced as “day-kohm-pray-say”.

The word “décompresser” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating reversal or removal) and the verb “compresser” (to compress or squeeze). It is commonly used in everyday French to express the act of relaxing or taking time off to unwind.

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

  1. Chaque soir, je décompressais en lisant un bon livre. (Every evening, I used to relax by reading a good book.)
  2. Pendant mes vacances, nous décompressions en passant du temps à la plage. (During my vacation, we would unwind by spending time at the beach.)
  3. Quand j’étais stressé, je décompressais en faisant du sport. (When I was stressed, I would relax by doing sports.)

These examples illustrate how “décompresser” is used to describe the habitual or ongoing action of relaxing in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décompresser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décompressais Je décompressais après le travail. I was decompressing after work.
tu décompressais Tu décompressais en écoutant de la musique. You were decompressing while listening to music.
il décompressait Il décompressait en faisant du sport. He was decompressing by doing sports.
elle décompressait Elle décompressait en lisant un livre. She was decompressing by reading a book.
on décompressait On décompressait en regardant une série. We were decompressing by watching a series.
nous décompressions Nous décompressions en faisant une promenade. We were decompressing by taking a walk.
vous décompressiez Vous décompressiez en faisant du yoga. You were decompressing by doing yoga.
ils décompressaient Ils décompressaient en jouant aux jeux vidéo. They were decompressing by playing video games.
elles décompressaient Elles décompressaient en discutant entre elles. They were decompressing by chatting with each other.

Other Conjugations for Décompresser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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