Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déquiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déquiller

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déquiller. 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 déquiller is “to unsocket” or “to knock off.” The infinitive form, déquiller, is pronounced as “day-key-yay.”

Déquiller comes from the Old French word “quille,” meaning “skittle” or “peg.” In everyday French, déquiller is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe past actions that were ongoing, habitual, or in progress.

Three examples of déquiller in the imparfait tense and their respective English translations are:

  1. Chaque fois qu’il jouait aux quilles, il déquillait trois quilles. (Every time he played skittles, he would knock off three pins.)
  2. Pendant la fête, il déquillait toutes les bouteilles de champagne rapidement. (During the party, he would swiftly unsocket all the champagne bottles.)
  3. Enfant, je déquillais régulièrement les poupées de ma sœur par accident. (As a child, I would accidentally knock off my sister’s dolls regularly.)

Note: The translations provided are not literal translations, but rather aim to convey the meaning and context of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déquiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déquillais Je déquillais la porte. I was unhinging the door.
tu déquillais Tu déquillais le meuble. You were unhinging the furniture.
il déquillait Il déquillait les fenêtres. He was unhinging the windows.
elle déquillait Elle déquillait la porte d’entrée. She was unhinging the front door.
on déquillait On déquillait les portes. We were unhinging the doors.
nous déquillions Nous déquillions les tiroirs. We were unhinging the drawers.
vous déquilliez Vous déquilliez les armoires. You were unhinging the cabinets.
ils déquillaient Ils déquillaient les portails. They were unhinging the gates.
elles déquillaient Elles déquillaient les volets. They were unhinging the shutters.

Other Conjugations for Déquiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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