Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déniveler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déniveler

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The English translation of the French verb “déniveler” is “to make uneven” or “to create differences in elevation.” The infinitive form “déniveler” is pronounced as “day-nee-veh-lay.”

The word “déniveler” is derived from the combination of two French words: “dénivelé” (difference in elevation) and the verb suffix “-er,” which signifies the action of making or creating. In everyday French, this verb is often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of “déniveler” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je dénivelais le sol du jardin pour créer une ambiance artistique.
    (I was making the garden floor uneven to create an artistic ambiance.)

  2. Tu dénivelais les marches de l’escalier pour les rendre plus sécuritaires.
    (You were making the steps of the staircase uneven to make them safer.)

  3. Pendant des années, il dénivelait la route afin de faciliter le drainage des eaux.
    (For years, he was making the road uneven to facilitate water drainage.)

Please note that these translations are not literal, but rather convey the meaning of the sentences in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déniveler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dénivelais Je dénivelais la montagne. I was changing the elevation of the mountain.
tu dénivelais Tu dénivelais le sentier. You were changing the elevation of the trail.
il dénivelait Il dénivelait la route. He was changing the elevation of the road.
elle dénivelait Elle dénivelait le terrain. She was changing the elevation of the terrain.
on dénivelait On dénivelait le chemin. We were changing the elevation of the path.
nous dénivelions Nous dénivelions la piste. We were changing the elevation of the track.
vous déniveliez Vous déniveliez la colline. You were changing the elevation of the hill.
ils dénivelaient Ils dénivelaient le paysage. They were changing the elevation of the landscape.
elles dénivelaient Elles dénivelaient la vallée. They were changing the elevation of the valley.

Other Conjugations for Déniveler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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