Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démobiliser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démobiliser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of démobiliser. 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 démobiliser is “to demobilize.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form, démobiliser, is “day-mo-bee-lee-zay.”

Démobiliser comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “un-” or “dis-“) and the verb “mobiliser” (meaning “to mobilize”). It is used in everyday French to refer to the action of disbanding or demobilizing troops or personnel, especially after a military conflict or war.

Examples of its usage in the imparfait tense (imperfect) with their respective English translations:

  1. Pendant la guerre, le gouvernement démobilisait progressivement les soldats.
    (During the war, the government was gradually demobilizing the soldiers.)

  2. Ils démobilisaient les troupes après la victoire pour réduire les effectifs militaires.
    (They were demobilizing the troops after the victory to reduce military personnel.)

  3. Mon grand-père se souvient qu’ils démobilisaient les réservistes à la fin du conflit.
    (My grandfather remembers that they were demobilizing the reservists at the end of the conflict.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of démobiliser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je démobilisais Je démobilisais mes troupes. I was demobilizing my troops.
tu démobilisais Tu démobilisais ton équipe. You were demobilizing your team.
il démobilisait Il démobilisait les soldats. He was demobilizing the soldiers.
elle démobilisait Elle démobilisait les volontaires. She was demobilizing the volunteers.
on démobilisait On démobilisait les réservistes. We were demobilizing the reservists.
nous démobilisions Nous démobilisions les unités. We were demobilizing the units.
vous démobilisiez Vous démobilisiez les citoyens. You were demobilizing the citizens.
ils démobilisaient Ils démobilisaient les combattants. They were demobilizing the fighters.
elles démobilisaient Elles démobilisaient les partisans. They were demobilizing the supporters.

Other Conjugations for Démobiliser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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