Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défatiguer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défatiguer

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The English translation of the French verb défatiguer is “to refresh” or “to relieve from fatigue.” The infinitive form, défatiguer, is pronounced as “day-fah-tee-geh.”

Défatiguer is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “remove” or “undo”) and the word “fatigue.” It is typically used to express the action of relieving or alleviating fatigue or tiredness. In everyday French, défatiguer is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to talk about ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three examples of défatiguer used in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque soir, je défatiguais mes jambes en faisant une promenade.
    (Every evening, I would refresh my legs by taking a walk.)

  2. Nous défatiguions nos esprits en écoutant de la musique douce.
    (We used to relieve our minds by listening to soft music.)

  3. Pendant les vacances, tu défatiguais ton corps en faisant de l’exercice tous les matins.
    (During the holidays, you used to refresh your body by exercising every morning.)

Note: The imparfait tense in English is often translated as “used to” or “would.”

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of défatiguer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je défatiguais Je défatiguais mes muscles. I was resting my muscles.
tu défatiguais Tu défatiguais après l’effort. You were resting after the effort.
il défatiguait Il défatiguait son esprit. He was resting his mind.
elle défatiguait Elle défatiguait son corps. She was resting her body.
on défatiguait On défatiguait nos yeux. We were resting our eyes.
nous défatiguions Nous défatiguions nos jambes. We were resting our legs.
vous défatiguiez Vous défatiguiez votre esprit. You were resting your mind.
ils défatiguaient Ils défatiguaient leurs muscles. They were resting their muscles.
elles défatiguaient Elles défatiguaient leurs corps. They were resting their bodies.

Other Conjugations for Défatiguer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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