Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défolier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défolier

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of défolier. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb défolier is “to defoliate.” The infinitive form, défolier, is pronounced as “day-foh-lee-ey.”

Défolier comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “to undo” or “to remove”) and the word “feuille” (meaning “leaf”). It is a regular -er verb and is used to describe the action of removing or causing the leaves to fall off a tree or plant.

In everyday French, défolier is often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It can be used to talk about past habits, states, or descriptions.

Here are three examples of défolier in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je défoliais toujours les plantes de mon grand-père.
    (When I was a child, I would always defoliate my grandfather’s plants.)
  2. Les agriculteurs défoliaient leurs cultures pour faciliter la récolte.
    (Farmers would defoliate their crops to ease the harvest.)
  3. Les tempêtes d’automne défoliaient les arbres de la région.
    (Autumn storms would defoliate the trees in the region.)

Please note that the translations provided are not literal translations but rather indicate the meaning and usage of the verb défolier in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of défolier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je défoliais Je défoliais les arbres. I was defoliating the trees.
tu défoliais Tu défoliais les plantes. You were defoliating the plants.
il défoliait Il défoliait les feuilles. He was defoliating the leaves.
elle défoliait Elle défoliait les branches. She was defoliating the branches.
on défoliait On défoliait les arbustes. We were defoliating the shrubs.
nous défoliions Nous défoliions les jardins. We were defoliating the gardens.
vous défoliiez Vous défoliiez les haies. You were defoliating the hedges.
ils défoliaient Ils défoliaient les fleurs. They were defoliating the flowers.
elles défoliaient Elles défoliaient les plantations. They were defoliating the plantations.

Other Conjugations for Défolier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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