Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déconcentrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déconcentrer

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The English translation of the French verb déconcentrer is “to distract” or “to unsettle.” The pronunciation of its infinitive form déconcentrer is [deh-kohn-sehn-tray].

Déconcentrer is derived from the French prefix “dé-” (meaning “un-” or “dis-“) and the verb “concentrer” (meaning “to concentrate”). Therefore, déconcentrer can be understood as the opposite of concentrating or causing someone to lose their concentration.

In everyday French, déconcentrer is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It often indicates a disruption or interruption of someone’s focus or concentration.

Here are three examples of déconcentrer in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais étudiant, le bruit dans la bibliothèque me déconcentrait. (When I was a student, the noise in the library would distract me.)
  2. Les enfants se chamaillaient constamment en classe, ce qui déconcentrait le professeur. (The children would constantly bicker in class, which would unsettle the teacher.)
  3. La présence de son téléphone pendant les réunions déconcentrait toujours mon collègue. (The presence of his phone during meetings would always distract my colleague.)

English translations:

  1. When I was a student, the noise in the library would distract me.
  2. The children would constantly bicker in class, which would unsettle the teacher.
  3. The presence of his phone during meetings would always distract my colleague.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déconcentrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déconcentrais Je me déconcentrais facilement. I would get easily distracted.
tu déconcentrais Tu te déconcentrais souvent. You would get distracted often.
il déconcentrait Il se déconcentrait pendant les réunions. He would get distracted during the meetings.
elle déconcentrait Elle se déconcentrait en classe. She would get distracted in class.
on déconcentrait On se déconcentrait facilement. We would get easily distracted.
nous déconcentrions Nous nous déconcentrions pendant l’examen. We would get distracted during the exam.
vous déconcentriez Vous vous déconcentriez trop souvent. You would get distracted too often.
ils déconcentraient Ils se déconcentraient facilement. They would get easily distracted.
elles déconcentraient Elles se déconcentraient en parlant. They would get distracted while talking.

Other Conjugations for Déconcentrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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