Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désabuser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désabuser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désabuser. 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 désabuser is “to disillusion” or “to disabuse.” The infinitive form of désabuser is pronounced as “day-za-byoo-zay.”

Désabuser originated from the prefix “dés-” meaning “dis-” or “un-,” and the verb “abuser” meaning “to deceive” or “to abuse.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to express actions or states in the past that were ongoing or habitual.

Example 1: Chaque jour, je me désabusais de plus en plus de la politique.
Translation: Every day, I became more and more disillusioned with politics.

Example 2: Elle désabusait souvent les jeunes en leur expliquant la réalité de la vie.
Translation: She would often disabuse young people by explaining the realities of life.

Example 3: Nous nous désabusions petit à petit de nos rêves d’enfance.
Translation: We were slowly being disabused of our childhood dreams.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désabuser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désabusais Je désabusais facilement. I used to disillusion easily.
tu désabusais Tu désabusais les autres. You used to disillusion others.
il désabusait Il désabusait ses amis. He used to disillusion his friends.
elle désabusait Elle désabusait ses collègues. She used to disillusion her colleagues.
on désabusait On désabusait les jeunes. We used to disillusion the young ones.
nous désabusions Nous désabusions de la politique. We used to disillusion with politics.
vous désabusiez Vous désabusiez les étudiants. You used to disillusion the students.
ils désabusaient Ils désabusaient les électeurs. They used to disillusion the voters.
elles désabusaient Elles désabusaient les citoyens. They used to disillusion the citizens.

Other Conjugations for Désabuser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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