Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Introduction to the verb défier
The English translation of the French verb défier is “to challenge” or “to defy”. The infinitive form is pronounced as [deh-FYAY].
The word défier originates from the Latin word “diffidere”, which means “to distrust” or “to doubt”. In everyday French, défier is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual challenges or acts of defiance in the past.
Here are three simple examples of défier in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Quand j’étais enfant, je défiais toujours mes professeurs. (When I was a child, I would always challenge my teachers.)
- Elles défiaient les règles en organisant des manifestations tous les jours. (They were defying the rules by organizing protests every day.)
- Nous défions souvent les habitudes et sortions tard le soir. (We used to challenge conventions and often went out late at night.)
Note: The imparfait tense is used to describe past actions or states that were ongoing, repeated, or in progress, rather than being specific and completed events.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of défier
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | défiais | Je défiais mes adversaires. | I was challenging my opponents. |
tu | défiais | Tu défiais les règles. | You were defying the rules. |
il | défiait | Il défiait ses peurs. | He was defying his fears. |
elle | défiait | Elle défiait les attentes. | She was defying expectations. |
on | défiait | On défiait l’autorité. | We were defying authority. |
nous | défiions | Nous défiions les conventions. | We were defying conventions. |
vous | défiez | Vous défiez les limites. | You were defying the limits. |
ils | défiaient | Ils défiaient leurs adversaires. | They were challenging their opponents. |
elles | défiaient | Elles défiaient les conventions. | They were defying conventions. |
Other Conjugations for Défier.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
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Défier – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb défier. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!