Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désemmancher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désemmancher

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The English translation of the French verb “désemmancher” is “to detach the handle” or “to remove the handle.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “désemmancher” is: day-zay-mawn-shay.

The word “désemmancher” is formed by adding the prefix “dé-” (indicating negation or reversal) to the verb “emmancher” (to handle or to fit with a handle). It belongs to the first group of regular French verbs ending in “-er.”

In everyday French, “désemmancher” is most often used in the imparfait tense (imperfect tense). The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions or states in the past. It sets the background or context for another past action.

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

  1. Chaque soir, il désemmanchait le manche de la pelle. (Every evening, he would detach the handle of the shovel.)
  2. Nous désemmanchions les couteaux avant de les mettre dans le lave-vaisselle. (We used to remove the handles of the knives before putting them in the dishwasher.)
  3. Pendant des années, elle désemmanchait et remettait le manche de son balai. (For years, she would detach and reattach the handle of her broom.)

Please note that since the verb “désemmancher” is quite specific and refers to detaching handles, the examples provided are contextually related to handles of different objects.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désemmancher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désemmanchais Je désemmanchais le bouchon. I was unscrewing the cap.
tu désemmanchais Tu désemmanchais le couvercle. You were unscrewing the lid.
il désemmanchait Il désemmanchait la poignée. He was unscrewing the handle.
elle désemmanchait Elle désemmanchait la bouteille. She was unscrewing the bottle.
on désemmanchait On désemmanchait le robinet. We were unscrewing the faucet.
nous désemmanchions Nous désemmanchions le tuyau. We were unscrewing the hose.
vous désemmanchiez Vous désemmanchiez le boulon. You were unscrewing the bolt.
ils désemmanchaient Ils désemmanchaient le pommeau. They were unscrewing the knob.
elles désemmanchaient Elles désemmanchaient la vis. They were unscrewing the screw.

Other Conjugations for Désemmancher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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