Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désenivrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désenivrer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désenivrer. 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 “désenivrer” is “to sober up” or “to become sober.” The infinitive form “désenivrer” is pronounced as “dey-suh-nee-vreh.”

The word “désenivrer” combines the prefix “dés-” (which denotes a reversal or removal) with the verb “enivrer” (to get drunk). It is primarily used to describe the process of becoming sober after being intoxicated. In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express ongoing or repetitive actions in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, il se désenivrait avec une tasse de café. (Every morning, he would sober up with a cup of coffee.)
  2. Pendant la soirée, nous nous désenivrions en buvant de l’eau. (During the evening, we would sober up by drinking water.)
  3. Elle se désenivrait lentement après une nuit de fête. (She was sobering up slowly after a night of partying.)

Please note that the translations provided are approximate and may vary based on the specific context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désenivrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désenivrais Je désenivrais mon ami. I was sobering up my friend.
tu désenivrais Tu désenivrais la situation. You were sobering up the situation.
il désenivrait Il désenivrait rapidement. He was sobering up quickly.
elle désenivrait Elle désenivrait lentement. She was sobering up slowly.
on désenivrait On désenivrait ensemble. We were sobering up together.
nous désenivrions Nous désenivrions nos amis. We were sobering up our friends.
vous désenivriez Vous désenivriez vos invités. You were sobering up your guests.
ils désenivraient Ils désenivraient la salle. They were sobering up the room.
elles désenivraient Elles désenivraient les personnes. They were sobering up the people.

Other Conjugations for Désenivrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the désenivrer imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply