Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déjanter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déjanter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déjanter. 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 déjanter is “to come unhinged” or “to go off track.” The infinitive form déjanter is pronounced as “day-jahn-tay.”

Déjanter is derived from the word “janter,” which means “to disassemble” or “to unfasten.” The prefix “dé-” adds an intensive or negative sense to the verb, resulting in the meaning of “to come unhinged” or “to go off track.”

In everyday French, the verb déjanter in the imparfait tense is often used to describe a situation or a person that is becoming unbalanced or losing their composure. It can also be used metaphorically to refer to something going off course or off track.

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

  1. Quand il était stressé, il déjantait facilement.
    (When he was stressed, he would easily come unhinged.)

  2. Le projet déjantait petit à petit à cause du manque de coordination.
    (The project was going off track gradually due to a lack of coordination.)

  3. Elle déjantait souvent lorsqu’elle était confrontée à des situations difficiles.
    (She would often lose her composure when faced with difficult situations.)

Note: The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, and it often sets the background or provides context for another event.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déjanter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déjantais Je déjantais souvent. I used to come off the rails often.
tu déjantais Tu déjantais parfois. You used to come off the rails sometimes.
il déjantait Il déjantait régulièrement. He used to come off the rails regularly.
elle déjantait Elle déjantait rarement. She used to come off the rails rarely.
on déjantait On déjantait occasionnellement. We used to come off the rails occasionally.
nous déjantions Nous déjantions ensemble. We used to come off the rails together.
vous déjantiez Vous déjantiez bruyamment. You used to come off the rails loudly.
ils déjantaient Ils déjantaient fréquemment. They used to come off the rails frequently.
elles déjantaient Elles déjantaient discrètement. They used to come off the rails discreetly.

Other Conjugations for Déjanter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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