Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désencoller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désencoller

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désencoller. 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 “désencoller” is “to unstick” or “to unglue.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “désencoller” is [day-zahn-ko-lay].

“Désencoller” is derived from the combination of the prefix “dés-” (meaning “un-” or “de-“) and the verb “encoller” (meaning “to glue” or “to stick”). It is a regular verb and is most often used in everyday French to express the action of separating or removing something that was previously glued or stuck.

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

  1. Chaque matin, je désencollais les timbres de mon album pour les réutiliser.
    (Every morning, I would unstick the stamps from my album to reuse them.)

  2. Quand j’étais enfant, je désencollais les étiquettes des pots de confiture.
    (When I was a child, I used to unstick the labels from jam jars.)

  3. Pendant notre déménagement, nous désencollions les affiches du mur.
    (During our move, we were ungluing the posters from the wall.)

Please note that these translations are provided as an approximation and the context of the sentence may slightly alter the meaning.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désencoller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désencollais Je désencollais les affiches. I was removing the posters.
tu désencollais Tu désencollais le papier peint. You were removing the wallpaper.
il désencollait Il désencollait les étiquettes. He was removing the labels.
elle désencollait Elle désencollait les timbres. She was removing the stamps.
on désencollait On désencollait les autocollants. We were removing the stickers.
nous désencollions Nous désencollions les vignettes. We were removing the stickers.
vous désencolliez Vous désencolliez les papiers. You were removing the papers.
ils désencollaient Ils désencollaient les images. They were removing the pictures.
elles désencollaient Elles désencollaient les affichettes. They were removing the small posters.

Other Conjugations for Désencoller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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