Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépaisseler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépaisseler

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The English translation of the French verb dépaisseler is “to thin out” or “to thin down.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form dépaisseler is “day-pa-sel-ay.”

Dépaisseler belongs to the French language and is formed by adding the prefix “dé-” (meaning “to undo” or “to reverse”) to the verb “paisseler” (meaning “to thicken” or “to become thick”).

In everyday French, dépaisseler in the imparfait tense is commonly used to describe an ongoing action or state in the past. It can be used to refer to thinning out or reducing the thickness of something, such as a sauce, a mixture, or even a crowd. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, je dépaisselais la sauce en y ajoutant du bouillon.
    (Every evening, I would thin out the sauce by adding broth to it.)

  2. Pendant la fête, ils dépaisselaient la foule en ouvrant une autre porte.
    (During the party, they were thinning down the crowd by opening another door.)

  3. Nous dépaisselions le mélange en ajoutant petit à petit de l’eau.
    (We were thinning out the mixture by gradually adding water to it.)

Please note that the translations provided are approximate, as the context may influence the precise meaning of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dépaisseler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dépaisselais Je dépaisselais mes cheveux. I was thinning my hair.
tu dépaisselais Tu dépaisselais ta soupe. You were thinning your soup.
il dépaisselait Il dépaisselait la sauce. He was thinning the sauce.
elle dépaisselait Elle dépaisselait son maquillage. She was thinning her makeup.
on dépaisselait On dépaisselait les rangées. We were thinning the rows.
nous dépaisselions Nous dépaisselions les arbres. We were thinning the trees.
vous dépaisseliez Vous dépaisseliez les légumes. You were thinning the vegetables.
ils dépaisselaient Ils dépaisselaient les cheveux. They were thinning their hair.
elles dépaisselaient Elles dépaisselaient les bouillons. They were thinning the broths.

Other Conjugations for Dépaisseler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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