Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délasser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délasser

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The English translation of the French verb “délasser” is “to relax” or “to unwind.” The infinitive form of délasser is pronounced as “day-lah-say.”

The verb délasser has its origin in the Old French word “delacier,” which comes from the Latin word “delassare,” meaning “to tire out” or “to exhaust.” In everyday French, délasser is most often used in the imparfait tense, which denotes an ongoing or habitual action in the past.

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

  1. Chaque soir, je me délassais en lisant un bon livre.
    (Every evening, I would relax by reading a good book.)

  2. Pendant les vacances, nous nous délassions à la plage tous les jours.
    (During the holidays, we would relax at the beach every day.)

  3. Quand j’étais étudiant, je me délassais en allant au cinéma.
    (When I was a student, I would relax by going to the cinema.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of délasser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je délassais Je me délassais en lisant. I was relaxing by reading.
tu délassais Tu te délassais dans le jardin. You were relaxing in the garden.
il délassait Il délassait ses muscles. He was relaxing his muscles.
elle délassait Elle se délassait dans le bain. She was relaxing in the bath.
on délassait On délassait nos esprits. We were relaxing our minds.
nous délassions Nous nous délassions à la campagne. We were relaxing in the countryside.
vous délassiez Vous vous délassiez après le travail. You were relaxing after work.
ils délassaient Ils délassaient leurs pieds fatigués. They were relaxing their tired feet.
elles délassaient Elles délassaient leurs corps à la plage. They were relaxing their bodies at the beach.

Other Conjugations for Délasser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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