Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décomprimer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décomprimer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of décomprimer. 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 “décomprimer” is “to decompress” or “to relax.” The infinitive form, “décomprimer,” is pronounced as day-koh-mah-prise (with the stress on the last syllable).

The word “décomprimer” is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which indicates negation or reversal) and the verb “compresser” (meaning “to compress”). It is often used in everyday French to express the act of relieving stress, tension, or pressure. This verb is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or continuous actions in the past.

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

  1. Chaque soir, je décompressais en lisant un livre. (Every evening, I would decompress by reading a book.)
  2. Nous décompressions en nous promenant dans le parc. (We would decompress by taking a walk in the park.)
  3. Pendant les vacances, ils décompressaient en faisant du yoga. (During the holidays, they would decompress by practicing yoga.)

These examples illustrate how “décomprimer” in the imparfait tense portrays a habitual or repeated action in the past, emphasizing the process of relaxation.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of décomprimer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je décompressais Je décompressais après le travail. I was decompressing after work.
tu décompressais Tu décompressais en faisant du yoga. You were decompressing by doing yoga.
il décompressait Il décompressait en regardant la télévision. He was decompressing by watching TV.
elle décompressait Elle décompressait en écoutant de la musique. She was decompressing by listening to music.
on décompressait On décompressait en faisant une promenade. We were decompressing by going for a walk.
nous décomprimions Nous décomprimions en faisant du sport. We were decompressing by exercising.
vous décompressiez Vous décompressiez en lisant un livre. You were decompressing by reading a book.
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 among themselves.

Other Conjugations for Décomprimer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the décomprimer imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply