Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délester

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délester

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of délester. 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 délester is “to lighten” or “to unload.” The infinitive form délester is pronounced as “day-lest-ay.”

Délester originated from the Old French word “desteler,” which means “to unhorse” or “to dismount.” In everyday French, délester is most commonly used to refer to the act of removing or reducing a burden, either physically or figuratively. It can also imply the act of getting rid of something that is weighing down or hindering progress.

Examples of délester in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, je délestais mon sac à dos avant de partir à l’école.
    (Every morning, I would lighten my backpack before leaving for school.)

  2. Nous délestions régulièrement nos discussions des sujets qui nous fâchaient.
    (We would regularly unload our conversations of the topics that made us angry.)

  3. Pendant les vacances, nous délestions notre voiture de toutes les affaires inutiles.
    (During the holidays, we would unload our car from all unnecessary belongings.)

Note: The imparfait tense is used to describe an ongoing or habitual past action, often used to set the scene or provide background information in a narrative context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of délester

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je délestais Je délestais le sac à dos. I was unburdening the backpack.
tu délestais Tu délestais la voiture. You were unloading the car.
il délestait Il délestait le camion. He was unloading the truck.
elle délestait Elle délestait le bateau. She was unloading the boat.
on délestait On délestait les bagages. We were unloading the luggage.
nous délestions Nous délestions la cargaison. We were unloading the cargo.
vous délestiez Vous délestiez les valises. You were unloading the suitcases.
ils délestaient Ils délestaient les marchandises. They were unloading the goods.
elles délestaient Elles délestaient les caisses. They were unloading the crates.

Other Conjugations for Délester.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the délester imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply