Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déparler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déparler

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The English translation of the French verb déparler is “to retract” or “to take back one’s words.” The infinitive form of déparler is pronounced as “dey-par-lay.”

Déparler is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “to undo” or “to reverse”) and the verb “parler” (meaning “to speak”). It is mainly used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to express the action of retracting or taking back previously spoken words.

Example 1: Quand j’étais jeune, je déparlais toujours mes promesses.
Translation: When I was young, I would always retract my promises.

Example 2: Ils déparlaient leurs accusations après avoir découvert les nouvelles preuves.
Translation: They retracted their accusations after discovering the new evidence.

Example 3: Nous déparlions nos mots durs quand nous nous réconciliions.
Translation: We would take back our harsh words when we made up.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déparler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déparlais Je déparlais souvent. I used to speak badly.
tu déparlais Tu déparlais trop. You used to speak badly.
il déparlait Il déparlait sans cesse. He used to speak badly.
elle déparlait Elle déparlait de moi. She used to speak badly about me.
on déparlait On déparlait de tout. We used to speak badly about everything.
nous déparlions Nous déparlions souvent. We used to speak badly.
vous déparliez Vous déparliez de lui. You used to speak badly about him.
ils déparlaient Ils déparlaient sans raison. They used to speak badly for no reason.
elles déparlaient Elles déparlaient entre elles. They used to speak badly to each other.

Other Conjugations for Déparler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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