Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dérider

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dérider

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dérider. 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 “dérider” is “to cheer up” or “to make someone smile”. The infinitive form “dérider” is pronounced as “day-ree-day”.

The verb “dérider” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which often indicates a reversal or undoing) and the verb “rider” (meaning to wrinkle or furrow). Consequently, “dérider” expresses the action of unwrinkling or smoothing out, but primarily in a metaphoric sense, referring to someone’s mood or expression.

In everyday French, the verb “dérider” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense and their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque fois que je la voyais, elle me déridait avec ses blagues. (Every time I saw her, she would cheer me up with her jokes.)
  2. Enfant, ses histoires drôles nous déridaient pendant les réunions de famille. (As a child, his funny stories would make us smile during family gatherings.)
  3. Les films comiques me déridaient toujours quand j’étais triste. (Comedy movies would always cheer me up when I was sad.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dérider

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déridais Je déridais son visage. I was cheering up his/her face.
tu déridais Tu déridais la situation. You were lightening up the situation.
il déridait Il déridait tout le monde. He was cheering up everyone.
elle déridait Elle déridait la pièce. She was brightening up the room.
on déridait On déridait les enfants. We were cheering up the children.
nous déridions Nous déridions nos amis. We were cheering up our friends.
vous déridiez Vous déridiez le public. You were cheering up the audience.
ils déridaient Ils déridaient les passants. They were cheering up the pedestrians.
elles déridaient Elles déridaient les patients. They were cheering up the patients.

Other Conjugations for Dérider.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the dérider imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply