Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désarmer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désarmer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désarmer. 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 “désarmer” is “to disarm.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “désarmer” is [de-zaʁ.me].

The verb “désarmer” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which indicates negation or reversal) and the verb “armer” (to arm). Its most common usage in everyday French in the imparfait tense is to refer to the act of disarming or demilitarizing.

Examples of “désarmer” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Nous désarmions notre ennemi chaque fois qu’il se rendait. (We were disarming our enemy every time they surrendered.)
  2. Pendant la conférence, les négociateurs désarmaient les tensions avec des compromis. (During the conference, the negotiators were diffusing tensions by making compromises.)
  3. Les manifestants désarmaient les policiers en brandissant des fleurs. (The protesters were disarming the police officers by waving flowers.)

English translations:

  1. We were disarming our enemy every time they surrendered.
  2. During the conference, the negotiators were diffusing tensions by making compromises.
  3. The protesters were disarming the police officers by waving flowers.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désarmer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désarmais Je désarmais l’ennemi. I was disarming the enemy.
tu désarmais Tu désarmais ton adversaire. You were disarming your opponent.
il désarmait Il désarmait le voleur. He was disarming the thief.
elle désarmait Elle désarmait son agresseur. She was disarming her attacker.
on désarmait On désarmait les criminels. We were disarming the criminals.
nous désarmions Nous désarmions les bombes. We were disarming the bombs.
vous désarmiez Vous désarmiez les suspects. You were disarming the suspects.
ils désarmaient Ils désarmaient les soldats. They were disarming the soldiers.
elles désarmaient Elles désarmaient les terroristes. They were disarming the terrorists.

Other Conjugations for Désarmer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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