Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désencrasser

Introduction to the verb désencrasser

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The English translation of the French verb “désencrasser” is “to unclog” or “to clear out.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “désencrasser” is: day-zah-krah-say.

The word “désencrasser” is formed by adding the prefix “dés-” (which indicates removal) to the verb “encrasser” (to clog or to get dirty). It is often used in everyday French to describe the action of removing or cleaning out dirt, obstructions, or clogs from various objects or systems.

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

  1. Chaque semaine, je désencrassais les tuyaux de la douche. (Every week, I used to unclog the shower pipes.)
  2. Lorsque j’étais petit, mon grand-père désencrassait toujours les carburateurs de ses voitures anciennes. (When I was little, my grandfather would always clean out the carburetors of his vintage cars.)
  3. Nous désencrassions régulièrement la canalisation de l’évier pour éviter les bouchons. (We used to regularly unclog the sink drain to avoid blockages.)

It is important to note that the usage of “désencrasser” in the imparfait tense can vary depending on the context and the specific meaning intended.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désencrasser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désencrassais Je désencrassais la voiture. I was cleaning the car.
tu désencrassais Tu désencrassais les tuyaux. You were unclogging the pipes.
il désencrassait Il désencrassait le moteur. He was cleaning the engine.
elle désencrassait Elle désencrassait la douche. She was cleaning the shower.
on désencrassait On désencrassait les canalisations. We were unclogging the pipes.
nous désencrassions Nous désencrassions la maison. We were cleaning the house.
vous désencrassiez Vous désencrassiez les filtres. You were cleaning the filters.
ils désencrassaient Ils désencrassaient les gouttières. They were cleaning the gutters.
elles désencrassaient Elles désencrassaient les vitres. They were cleaning the windows.

Other Conjugations for Désencrasser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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