Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégeler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégeler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dégeler. 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 dégeler is “to thaw” or “to defrost”. The infinitive form “dégeler” is pronounced as [deh-zhuh-lay].

The word dégeler comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which indicates a reversal of the action) and the verb “geler” (to freeze). It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the process of melting or thawing something that was previously frozen.

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

  1. Chaque hiver, je dégelais les tuyaux pour éviter les ruptures. (Every winter, I would thaw the pipes to prevent them from bursting.)
  2. Quand nous étions enfants, nous dégelions les glaces sur le trottoir en sautant dessus. (When we were children, we used to thaw the ice on the sidewalk by jumping on it.)
  3. Elle dégelait lentement les aliments avant de les cuisiner. (She used to slowly defrost the food before cooking it.)

Please note that the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and dégeler in the imparfait implies that the action of thawing or defrosting was a regular occurrence or a continuous process in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dégeler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dégelais Je dégelais la viande. I was defrosting the meat.
tu dégelais Tu dégelais les légumes. You were defrosting the vegetables.
il dégelait Il dégelait le frigo. He was defrosting the fridge.
elle dégelait Elle dégelait le congélateur. She was defrosting the freezer.
on dégelait On dégelait les aliments. We were defrosting the food.
nous dégelions Nous dégelions les produits surgelés. We were defrosting the frozen products.
vous dégeliez Vous dégeliez rapidement. You were defrosting quickly.
ils dégelaient Ils dégelaient les glaces. They were defrosting the ice creams.
elles dégelaient Elles dégelaient les plats. They were defrosting the dishes.

Other Conjugations for Dégeler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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