Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dégonfler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dégonfler

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The English translation of the French verb “dégonfler” is “to deflate” or “to let the air out”. The infinitive form of “dégonfler” is pronounced as [deɡɔ̃fle].

The verb “dégonfler” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating negation or reversal) and the verb “gonfler” (meaning “to inflate” or “to blow up”). It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of letting the air out of something, such as deflating a tire, balloon, or any inflated object.

In the imparfait tense, “dégonfler” is used to express an ongoing or repeated action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, je dégonflais les matelas gonflables après leur utilisation.
    (Every evening, I would deflate the air mattresses after using them.)

  2. Pendant notre voyage en camping-car, nous dégonflions les pneus lors de nos arrêts prolongés.
    (During our motorhome trip, we would deflate the tires during our extended stops.)

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, je dégonflais souvent les ballons pour m’amuser.
    (When I was a child, I would often deflate balloons for fun.)

Please note that the translations provided are not word-for-word, but rather convey the meaning of the sentences in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dégonfler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dégonflais Je dégonflais les pneus. I was deflating the tires.
tu dégonflais Tu dégonflais les ballons. You were deflating the balloons.
il dégonflait Il dégonflait les pneus. He was deflating the tires.
elle dégonflait Elle dégonflait les ballons. She was deflating the balloons.
on dégonflait On dégonflait les pneus. We were deflating the tires.
nous dégonflions Nous dégonflions les ballons. We were deflating the balloons.
vous dégonfliez Vous dégonfliez les pneus. You were deflating the tires.
ils dégonflaient Ils dégonflaient les ballons. They were deflating the balloons.
elles dégonflaient Elles dégonflaient les pneus. They were deflating the tires.

Other Conjugations for Dégonfler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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