Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désaxer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désaxer. 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 “désaxer” is “to misalign” or “to unbalance.” The infinitive form “désaxer” is pronounced as “day-za-xey.”

The word “désaxer” originates from the combination of the prefix “dés-” (which indicates negation or reversal) and the verb “axer” (to align). It is commonly used to describe the action of causing something to lose its balance, alignment, or proper position.

In the imparfait tense, “désaxer” is most often used to talk about ongoing or repeated events in the past. It can describe situations where something was continuously unaligned or out of balance over a period of time.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque fois que je marchais sur ce pont, mes genoux se désaxaient. (Every time I walked on that bridge, my knees would misalign.)
  2. L’ancienne machine à laver se désaxait souvent et faisait beaucoup de bruit. (The old washing machine would frequently become unbalanced and make a lot of noise.)
  3. Quand j’étais enfant, mes lunettes se désaxaient constamment, et je devais les faire réparer. (When I was a child, my glasses would always get misaligned, and I had to get them fixed.)

English translations:

  1. Every time I walked on that bridge, my knees would misalign.
  2. The old washing machine would frequently become unbalanced and make a lot of noise.
  3. When I was a child, my glasses would always get misaligned, and I had to get them fixed.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désaxer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désaxais Je désaxais le meuble. I was misaligning the furniture.
tu désaxais Tu désaxais la porte. You were misaligning the door.
il désaxait Il désaxait la roue. He was misaligning the wheel.
elle désaxait Elle désaxait la fenêtre. She was misaligning the window.
on désaxait On désaxait les pièces. We were misaligning the parts.
nous désaxions Nous désaxions la machine. We were misaligning the machine.
vous désaxiez Vous désaxiez les objets. You were misaligning the objects.
ils désaxaient Ils désaxaient les composants. They were misaligning the components.
elles désaxaient Elles désaxaient les éléments. They were misaligning the elements.

Other Conjugations for Désaxer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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