Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déphaser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déphaser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déphaser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “déphaser” is “to get out of phase” or “to fall out of step.” The infinitive form “déphaser” is pronounced as day-fah-zay.

The word “déphaser” originated from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating negation or reversal) and the word “phase” (meaning stage or step). It is commonly used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe actions or situations that were ongoing or habitual in the past.

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

  1. Chaque matin, les horaires de travail de Pierre et Marie déphas(a)ient. (Every morning, Pierre and Marie’s work schedules fell out of step.)
  2. Quand j’étais enfant, mes parents me répétaient sans cesse que mes actions déphas(a)ient avec mes paroles. (When I was a child, my parents constantly told me that my actions were out of phase with my words.)
  3. Les roues de la voiture déphas(a)ient, ce qui causait une sensation de vibration. (The car’s wheels were out of phase, causing a vibrating sensation.)

Note: The verb “déphaser” is irregular in the imparfait tense, with the stem “déphas-” instead of the expected “déphasais.” However, it can also be conjugated as “déphasais” in some contexts.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déphaser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déphasais Je déphasais souvent. I used to phase shift often.
tu déphasais Tu déphasais ton signal. You used to phase shift your signal.
il déphasait Il déphasait sa voix. He used to phase shift his voice.
elle déphasait Elle déphasait sa guitare. She used to phase shift her guitar.
on déphasait On déphasait les ondes. We used to phase shift the waves.
nous déphasions Nous déphasions nos horaires. We used to phase shift our schedules.
vous déphasiez Vous déphasiez le son. You used to phase shift the sound.
ils déphasaient Ils déphasaient les signaux. They used to phase shift the signals.
elles déphasaient Elles déphasaient les images. They used to phase shift the images.

Other Conjugations for Déphaser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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