Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démêler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démêler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of démêler. 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 démêler is “to untangle” or “to unravel.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “démêler” is similar to “day-may-lay.”

The verb démêler originates from the Old French word “desmaeler,” which means “to disentangle” or “to separate.” It is derived from the Latin word “dis-,” meaning “apart,” and “macula,” meaning “spot.” In everyday French, démêler is often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three examples of démêler used in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais petit, je démêlais toujours les fils électriques.
    (When I was little, I would always untangle the electrical wires.)

  2. Elle démêlait ses cheveux longs pendant des heures.
    (She used to unravel her long hair for hours.)

  3. Nous démêlions les problèmes un par un.
    (We were untangling the problems one by one.)

Note: It’s important to mention that the imparfait tense in French is often translated into different tenses in English, depending on the context and meaning of the sentence. The translations provided here aim to capture the general sense of the imparfait tense in each example.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of démêler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je démêlais Je démêlais mes cheveux. I was untangling my hair.
tu démêlais Tu démêlais les fils. You were untangling the threads.
il démêlait Il démêlait la situation. He was untangling the situation.
elle démêlait Elle démêlait ses sentiments. She was untangling her feelings.
on démêlait On démêlait les problèmes. We were untangling the problems.
nous démêlions Nous démêlions les nœuds. We were untangling the knots.
vous démêliez Vous démêliez les faits. You were untangling the facts.
ils démêlaient Ils démêlaient les fils électriques. They were untangling the electrical wires.
elles démêlaient Elles démêlaient leurs cheveux. They were untangling their hair.

Other Conjugations for Démêler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 démêler imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply