Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délecter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délecter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of délecter. 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 délecter is “to delight” or “to enchant.” The infinitive form, délecter, is pronounced as “day-lek-teh.”

Délecter derives from the Latin verb “delectare,” meaning “to please” or “to delight.” It is used in everyday French to express the action of experiencing great pleasure or satisfaction. In the imparfait tense, délecter is often used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of délecter in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque été, je me délectais du parfum des fleurs dans mon jardin.
    (Every summer, I delighted in the scent of the flowers in my garden.)

  2. Les enfants se délectaient en écoutant les histoires de leur grand-mère.
    (The children were delighted while listening to their grandmother’s stories.)

  3. Nous nous délections en admirant le magnifique paysage depuis la terrasse.
    (We were delighting in admiring the magnificent landscape from the terrace.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of délecter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je me délectais Je me délectais de la musique. I was delighting in the music.
tu te délectais Tu te délectais du repas. You were delighting in the meal.
il se délectait Il se délectait de la lecture. He was delighting in the reading.
elle se délectait Elle se délectait de la nature. She was delighting in the nature.
on se délectait On se délectait de la conversation. We were delighting in the conversation.
nous nous délections Nous nous délections des vacances. We were delighting in the holidays.
vous vous délectiez Vous vous délectiez des saveurs. You were delighting in the flavors.
ils se délectaient Ils se délectaient des films. They were delighting in the movies.
elles se délectaient Elles se délectaient des activités. They were delighting in the activities.

Other Conjugations for Délecter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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