Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désemprisonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désemprisonner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désemprisonner. 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 désemprisonner is “to release from prison” or “to set free from prison.” The infinitive form of désemprisonner is pronounced as “day-zahm-pree-zoh-nay.”

Désemprisonner is derived from the combination of two French words, “dés” meaning “un-” or “remove” and “emprisonner” meaning “to imprison.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of freeing or liberating someone from prison.

Here are three examples of désemprisonner in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Je désempisonnais les prisonniers politiques.
    (I was releasing the political prisoners.)

  2. Tu désempisonnais ton frère chaque semaine.
    (You were releasing your brother every week.)

  3. Il désempisonnait les victimes injustement condamnées.
    (He was releasing the unjustly convicted victims.)

These examples showcase the use of désemprisonner in the imparfait tense, indicating ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désemprisonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désemprisonnais Je désemprisonnais les otages. I was freeing the hostages.
tu désemprisonnais Tu désemprisonnais les animaux. You were releasing the animals.
il désemprisonnait Il désemprisonnait les détenus. He was freeing the prisoners.
elle désemprisonnait Elle désemprisonnait les victimes. She was freeing the victims.
on désemprisonnait On désemprisonnait les opprimés. We were freeing the oppressed.
nous désemprisonnions Nous désemprisonnions les innocents. We were freeing the innocents.
vous désemprisonniez Vous désemprisonniez les captifs. You were freeing the captives.
ils désemprisonnaient Ils désemprisonnaient les condamnés. They were freeing the convicts.
elles désemprisonnaient Elles désemprisonnaient les personnes injustement emprisonnées. They were freeing the wrongfully imprisoned individuals.

Other Conjugations for Désemprisonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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