Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délicoter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délicoter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of délicoter. 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 “délicoter” is “to unravel” or “to undo.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “délicoter” is [day-lee-koh-tey].

The word “délicoter” is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which indicates reversal, separation, or removal) and the verb “licoter” (which means “to tie” or “to bind”). It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense, which is the past tense used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

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

  1. Je délicotais mes lacets tous les matins. (I used to untie my shoelaces every morning.)
  2. Tu délicotais les fils électriques avec précaution. (You used to carefully untangle the electrical wires.)
  3. Elle délicotait les pelotes de laine pour tricoter. (She used to unravel the balls of yarn for knitting.)

Please note that the English translations are approximate and may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of délicoter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je délicotais Je délicotais les légumes. I was untangling the vegetables.
tu délicotais Tu délicotais ton écharpe. You were untangling your scarf.
il délicotait Il délicotait les fils. He was untangling the threads.
elle délicotait Elle délicotait ses cheveux. She was untangling her hair.
on délicotait On délicotait les nœuds. We were untangling the knots.
nous délicotions Nous délicotions les cordes. We were untangling the ropes.
vous délicotiez Vous délicotiez les fils électriques. You were untangling the electrical wires.
ils délicotaient Ils délicotaient les fils emmêlés. They were untangling the tangled threads.
elles délicotaient Elles délicotaient les câbles. They were untangling the cables.

Other Conjugations for Délicoter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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