Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dérouter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dérouter

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The English translation of the French verb dérouter is “to divert” or “to reroute.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “dérouter” is /de-ru-te/.

Dérouter comes from the Old French word “derouter,” which means “to disperse” or “to scatter.” It originated from the Latin word “disruptus,” which means “to break apart” or “to shatter.” In everyday French, dérouter is often used in the imparfait tense to describe past actions or ongoing situations.

Here are three examples of dérouter in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je me déroutais souvent en lisant des romans. (When I was young, I would often get lost in reading novels.)
  2. Nous nous déroutions régulièrement lors de nos voyages en campagne. (We used to frequently get diverted during our countryside trips.)
  3. Les travaux routiers nous déroutaient tous les matins sur le chemin du travail. (The roadworks would reroute us every morning on our way to work.)

English translations:

  1. When I was young, I would often get lost in reading novels.
  2. We used to frequently get diverted during our countryside trips.
  3. The roadworks would reroute us every morning on our way to work.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dérouter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déroutais Je déroutais facilement. I used to easily confuse.
tu déroutais Tu déroutais tout le monde. You used to confuse everyone.
il déroutait Il déroutait les spectateurs. He used to confuse the spectators.
elle déroutait Elle déroutait son professeur. She used to confuse her teacher.
on déroutait On déroutait les passagers. We used to confuse the passengers.
nous déroutions Nous déroutions souvent. We used to confuse often.
vous déroutiez Vous déroutiez les adversaires. You used to confuse the opponents.
ils déroutaient Ils déroutaient leurs ennemis. They used to confuse their enemies.
elles déroutaient Elles déroutaient les auditeurs. They used to confuse the listeners.

Other Conjugations for Dérouter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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