Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiger

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défiger

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The English translation of the French verb “défiger” is “to thaw” or “to defrost.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-fee-zhay.”

“Défiger” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating reversal or removal) and the verb “figer” (meaning “to freeze” or “to solidify”). It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of melting or thawing something that was previously frozen.

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

  1. Chaque hiver, je défigeais la voiture avant de partir travailler.
    (Every winter, I would defrost the car before leaving for work.)

  2. Nous défigions les aliments sortis du congélateur dans l’évier.
    (We would thaw the food taken out of the freezer in the sink.)

  3. Il défigeait lentement les tuyaux gelés avec un sèche-cheveux.
    (He was slowly thawing the frozen pipes with a hairdryer.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of défiger

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je défigeais Je défigeais les légumes. I was thawing the vegetables.
tu défigeais Tu défigeais la viande. You were thawing the meat.
il défigeait Il défigeait le poisson. He was thawing the fish.
elle défigeait Elle défigeait les fruits. She was thawing the fruits.
on défigeait On défigeait le pain. We were thawing the bread.
nous défigions Nous défigions le beurre. We were thawing the butter.
vous défigiez Vous défigiez les plats préparés. You were thawing the ready meals.
ils défigeaient Ils défigeaient les pâtisseries. They were thawing the pastries.
elles défigeaient Elles défigeaient les glaces. They were thawing the ice creams.

Other Conjugations for Défiger.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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