Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dépelotonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dépelotonner

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The English translation of the French verb dépelotonner is “to untangle/untwist oneself from a group or cluster.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form dépelotonner is [dey-puh-loh-toh-ney].

Dépelotonner is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating an undoing or reversal) and the noun “peloton” (meaning a group or cluster). It is often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe the action of someone freeing themselves from a group or disengaging from a gathering.

Here are three examples of dépelotonner used in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque soir, elle se dépelotonnait du groupe d’amis pour rentrer chez elle.
    (Every evening, she untangled herself from the group of friends to go back home.)

  2. Pendant la réunion, il se dépelotonnait régulièrement pour prendre l’air.
    (During the meeting, he would regularly untangle himself to get some fresh air.)

  3. Les enfants se dépelotonnaient de la ronde des adultes pour jouer entre eux.
    (The children would untangle themselves from the adults’ circle to play together.)

English translations:

  1. Every evening, she untangled herself from the group of friends to go back home.
  2. During the meeting, he would regularly untangle himself to get some fresh air.
  3. The children would untangle themselves from the adults’ circle to play together.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dépelotonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dépelotonnais Je me dépelotonnais dans mon lit. I was uncurling in my bed.
tu dépelotonnais Tu te dépelotonnais devant la télévision. You were uncurling in front of the television.
il dépelotonnait Il se dépelotonnait après la course. He was uncurling after the race.
elle dépelotonnait Elle se dépelotonnait pour se détendre. She was uncurling to relax.
on dépelotonnait On se dépelotonnait après la séance d’exercice. We were uncurling after the workout.
nous dépelotonnions Nous nous dépelotonnions dans le salon. We were uncurling in the living room.
vous dépelotonniez Vous vous dépelotonniez pour vous asseoir. You were uncurling to sit down.
ils dépelotonnaient Ils se dépelotonnaient après la danse. They were uncurling after the dance.
elles dépelotonnaient Elles se dépelotonnaient pour se reposer. They were uncurling to rest.

Other Conjugations for Dépelotonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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