Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dématérialiser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dématérialiser

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The English translation of the French verb dématérialiser is “to dematerialize.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-ma-te-ree-a-lee-zay.”

Dématérialiser is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which indicates the opposite or removal of) and the word “matérialiser” (meaning “to materialize”). It is a relatively recent addition to the French language, originating from the technology and digitalization domain.

In everyday French, dématérialiser is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past. It refers to the process of converting physical objects or documents into a digital or virtual format.

Here are three examples of dématérialiser in the imparfait tense and their English translations:

  1. Nous dématérialisions nos factures pour économiser du papier.
    (We used to dematerialize our invoices to save paper.)

  2. Tu dématérialisais tes CD et tu les écoutais en ligne.
    (You used to dematerialize your CDs and listen to them online.)

  3. Ils dématérialisaient progressivement tous les livres de la bibliothèque.
    (They were gradually dematerializing all the books in the library.)

In these examples, dématérialiser is used to describe the ongoing or habitual action of converting physical items into digital formats.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dématérialiser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dématérialisais Je dématérialisais mes factures. I was dematerializing my invoices.
tu dématérialisais Tu dématérialisais tes documents. You were dematerializing your documents.
il dématérialisait Il dématérialisait les fichiers. He was dematerializing the files.
elle dématérialisait Elle dématérialisait les contrats. She was dematerializing the contracts.
on dématérialisait On dématérialisait les données. We were dematerializing the data.
nous dématérialisions Nous dématérialisions nos processus. We were dematerializing our processes.
vous dématérialisiez Vous dématérialisiez vos archives. You were dematerializing your archives.
ils dématérialisaient Ils dématérialisaient les transactions. They were dematerializing the transactions.
elles dématérialisaient Elles dématérialisaient les commandes. They were dematerializing the orders.

Other Conjugations for Dématérialiser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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