Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déraisonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déraisonner

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The English translation of the French verb “déraisonner” is “to talk nonsense” or “to reason badly.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “déraisonner” is: day-ray-zoh-nay.

The verb “déraisonner” comes from the French word “raison” meaning “reason” and the prefix “dé-” which has a negating effect. It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing action or state of talking or reasoning in a nonsensical or illogical manner.

Here are three examples of the usage of “déraisonner” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Je déraisonnais souvent pendant les cours.
    (I used to talk nonsense often during classes.)
  2. Elle déraisonnait sans cesse, ce qui rendait les conversations difficiles.
    (She was constantly talking nonsense, which made conversations difficult.)
  3. Les personnes âgées déraisonnaient à cause de leur maladie.
    (The elderly were talking nonsense due to their illness.)

Note: The English translations provided are not literal, but rather convey the intended meaning of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déraisonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déraisonnais Je déraisonnais souvent. I used to reason illogically.
tu déraisonnais Tu déraisonnais sans cesse. You used to reason illogically.
il déraisonnait Il déraisonnait en permanence. He used to reason illogically.
elle déraisonnait Elle déraisonnait fréquemment. She used to reason illogically.
on déraisonnait On déraisonnait collectivement. We used to reason illogically.
nous déraisonnions Nous déraisonnions ensemble. We used to reason illogically.
vous déraisonniez Vous déraisonniez parfois. You used to reason illogically.
ils déraisonnaient Ils déraisonnaient régulièrement. They used to reason illogically.
elles déraisonnaient Elles déraisonnaient toutes les deux. They used to reason illogically.

Other Conjugations for Déraisonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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