Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démaquiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démaquiller

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The English translation of the French verb “démaquiller” is “to remove makeup.” The infinitive form “démaquiller” is pronounced as “day-mah-kee-yay.”

The word “démaquiller” is derived from the combination of two words: “dé-” (a prefix meaning “un-” or “dis-“) and “maquiller” (to apply makeup). It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of removing makeup from one’s face or eyes.

Examples of the usage of “démaquiller” in the imparfait tense in everyday French, along with their English translations, are:

  1. Chaque soir, je me démaquillais pour prendre soin de ma peau.
    (Every evening, I would remove my makeup to take care of my skin.)

  2. Quand j’étais jeune, ma mère me démaquillait avant de me coucher.
    (When I was young, my mother would remove my makeup before putting me to bed.)

  3. Pendant mes années d’adolescence, je me démaquillais rarement.
    (During my teenage years, I rarely used to remove my makeup.)

Note: The examples provided are in the first-person singular form and can be adapted to other subjects and forms in the imparfait tense.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of démaquiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je démaquillais Je me démaquillais tous les soirs. I used to remove my makeup every night.
tu démaquillais Tu te démaquillais avec ce produit. You used to remove your makeup with this product.
il démaquillait Il se démaquillait avant de se coucher. He used to remove his makeup before going to bed.
elle démaquillait Elle se démaquillait doucement. She used to remove her makeup gently.
on démaquillait On se démaquillait ensemble. We used to remove our makeup together.
nous démaquillions Nous nous démaquillions rapidement. We used to remove our makeup quickly.
vous démaquilliez Vous vous démaquilliez avec ce produit. You used to remove your makeup with this product.
ils démaquillaient Ils se démaquillaient tous les soirs. They used to remove their makeup every night.
elles démaquillaient Elles se démaquillaient avant de se coucher. They used to remove their makeup before going to bed.

Other Conjugations for Démaquiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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