Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déniaiser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déniaiser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déniaiser. 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 déniaiser is “to open someone’s eyes” or “to make someone less naive.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-nee-ey-zay.”

The word déniaiser is derived from the noun “niais” which means “fool” or “simpleton” in French. It is formed by adding the prefix “dé-” (which indicates the opposite or undoing of an action) to the word “niaiser.” The verb déniaiser is commonly used in everyday French to describe the act of enlightening or educating someone, making them aware of the truth or reality of a situation.

Examples of déniaiser in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, mon grand-père me déniaisait sur la politique.
    Translation: When I was young, my grandfather would open my eyes about politics.

  2. Nous déniaisions nos amis sur les dangers de la drogue.
    Translation: We used to make our friends less naive about the dangers of drugs.

  3. Pendant mes études, mon professeur de littérature me déniaisait sur les grands écrivains français.
    Translation: During my studies, my literature teacher would enlighten me about the great French writers.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déniaiser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déniaisais Je déniaisais souvent. I used to become less naive often.
tu déniaisais Tu déniaisais tes amis. You used to make your friends less naive.
il déniaisait Il déniaisait les enfants. He used to make the children less naive.
elle déniaisait Elle déniaisait ses élèves. She used to make her students less naive.
on déniaisait On déniaisait tout le monde. We used to make everyone less naive.
nous déniaisions Nous déniaisions nos collègues. We used to make our colleagues less naive.
vous déniaisiez Vous déniaisiez les étudiants. You used to make the students less naive.
ils déniaisaient Ils déniaisaient les nouvelles recrues. They used to make the new recruits less naive.
elles déniaisaient Elles déniaisaient les gens. They used to make people less naive.

Other Conjugations for Déniaiser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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