Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désactiver

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désactiver

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désactiver. 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 “désactiver” is “to deactivate.” The infinitive form “désactiver” is pronounced as “day-zak-tee-vay.”

“Désactiver” is derived from the combination of the prefix “dés-” (meaning “un-” or “dis-“) and the verb “activer” (meaning “to activate”). It is used to describe the action of disabling or turning off something.

In the imparfait tense, “désactiver” is used to refer to past actions or states that were ongoing or repeated in the past. It is often used to talk about past habits, routines, or descriptions.

Here are three simple examples of “désactiver” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, je désactivais mon téléphone avant d’aller me coucher.
    (Every evening, I would deactivate my phone before going to bed.)

  2. Pendant les vacances, nous désactivions l’alarme de la maison pour ne pas être dérangés.
    (During the holidays, we would deactivate the house alarm to avoid being disturbed.)

  3. Elle désactivait toujours les notifications de ses applications pendant ses réunions.
    (She would always deactivate the notifications from her apps during her meetings.)

These examples show the use of “désactiver” in the imparfait tense to describe repeated or ongoing actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désactiver

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désactivais Je désactivais mon compte. I was deactivating my account.
tu désactivais Tu désactivais l’alarme. You were deactivating the alarm.
il désactivait Il désactivait le système. He was deactivating the system.
elle désactivait Elle désactivait son téléphone. She was deactivating her phone.
on désactivait On désactivait les fonctionnalités. We were deactivating the features.
nous désactivions Nous désactivions les notifications. We were deactivating the notifications.
vous désactiviez Vous désactiviez les paramètres. You were deactivating the settings.
ils désactivaient Ils désactivaient les comptes. They were deactivating the accounts.
elles désactivaient Elles désactivaient les options. They were deactivating the options.

Other Conjugations for Désactiver.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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