Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépareiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépareiller

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The English translation of the French verb “dépareiller” is “to mismatch” or “to not match.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “deh-pa-re-yay.”

The word “dépareiller” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating negation or removal) and the verb “pareiller” (meaning “to match” or “to pair”). It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, mes chaussettes dépareillaient. (Every morning, my socks didn’t match.)
  2. Quand j’étais enfant, mes parents dépareillaient toujours leurs vêtements. (When I was a child, my parents always mismatched their clothes.)
  3. Nous dépareillions souvent les coussins du salon pour donner un aspect plus décontracté. (We used to often mismatch the cushions in the living room to give a more casual look.)

Note: The translations provided aim to convey the general meaning of the sentences, but may not be literal translations.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dépareiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dépareillais Je dépareillais mes chaussettes. I would mismatch my socks.
tu dépareillais Tu dépareillais tes gants. You would mismatch your gloves.
il dépareillait Il dépareillait ses chaussures. He would mismatch his shoes.
elle dépareillait Elle dépareillait ses boucles d’oreilles. She would mismatch her earrings.
on dépareillait On dépareillait nos couverts. We would mismatch our silverware.
nous dépareillions Nous dépareillions nos assiettes. We would mismatch our plates.
vous dépareilliez Vous dépareilliez vos verres. You would mismatch your glasses.
ils dépareillaient Ils dépareillaient leurs cravates. They would mismatch their ties.
elles dépareillaient Elles dépareillaient leurs chapeaux. They would mismatch their hats.

Other Conjugations for Dépareiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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