Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dénaturer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dénaturer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dénaturer. 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 dénaturer is “to distort” or “to alter.” The infinitive form, dénaturer, is pronounced as “day-na-too-ray.”

The verb dénaturer originated from the Latin word “denaturare,” which means “to deprive of natural characteristics.” In everyday French, dénaturer is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The imparfait tense is used to set the scene or describe background information in a story.

Here are three examples of dénaturer in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Pendant des années, il dénaturait la vérité pour se protéger. (For years, he would distort the truth to protect himself.)
  2. Elle dénaturait régulièrement les faits pour se faire passer pour la victime. (She would regularly distort the facts to portray herself as the victim.)
  3. Ils dénaturaient les chiffres pour masquer leurs erreurs. (They would alter the numbers to hide their mistakes.)

In all these examples, dénaturer is used to convey the idea of distorting or altering something in an ongoing or repeated manner in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dénaturer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dénaturais Je dénaturais la vérité. I was distorting the truth.
tu dénaturais Tu dénaturais les faits. You were distorting the facts.
il dénaturait Il dénaturait les intentions. He was distorting the intentions.
elle dénaturait Elle dénaturait la réalité. She was distorting the reality.
on dénaturait On dénaturait les propos. We were distorting the statements.
nous dénaturions Nous dénaturions les données. We were distorting the data.
vous dénaturiez Vous dénaturiez les conclusions. You were distorting the conclusions.
ils dénaturaient Ils dénaturaient les résultats. They were distorting the results.
elles dénaturaient Elles dénaturaient les observations. They were distorting the observations.

Other Conjugations for Dénaturer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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