Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Introduction to the verb défiler
The English translation of the French verb “défiler” is “to parade” or “to march.” The infinitive form “défiler” is pronounced as “day-fee-lay.”
The verb “défiler” comes from the French word “filer,” which means “to thread” or “to spin.” It is derived from the Latin word “filum,” which also means “thread.” In everyday French, “défiler” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express an ongoing or repeated action in the past.
Here are three examples of “défiler” in the imparfait tense and their respective English translations:
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Chaque année, les enfants défilaient dans les rues pour la fête nationale.
(Every year, the children used to parade in the streets for the national holiday.) -
Pendant des heures, les voitures défilaient sur l’autoroute en direction de la plage.
(For hours, the cars were marching on the highway towards the beach.) -
Les soldats défilaient devant la foule en portant leurs uniformes impeccables.
(The soldiers were parading in front of the crowd, wearing their impeccable uniforms.)
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of défiler
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | défilais | Je défilais dans la parade. | I was marching in the parade. |
tu | défilais | Tu défilais avec grâce. | You were marching gracefully. |
il | défilait | Il défilait devant la foule. | He was marching in front of the crowd. |
elle | défilait | Elle défilait en tête du cortège. | She was marching at the head of the procession. |
on | défilait | On défilait avec fierté. | We were marching with pride. |
nous | défilions | Nous défilions en rangs serrés. | We were marching in close formation. |
vous | défiliez | Vous défiliez en uniforme. | You were marching in uniform. |
ils | défilaient | Ils défilaient en chantant. | They were marching and singing. |
elles | défilaient | Elles défilaient avec enthousiasme. | They were marching with enthusiasm. |
Other Conjugations for Défiler.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défiler
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Défiler – 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 défiler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!