Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désenlacer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désenlacer

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The English translation of the French verb désenlacer is “to unclasp” or “to unlace”. The infinitive form désenlacer is pronounced as “day-zahn-la-say”.

Désenlacer is derived from the Old French words “des-” (meaning “to undo” or “to remove”) and “enlacer” (meaning “to clasp” or “to lace”). It is most commonly used in everyday French to express the action of unclasping or untangling something, both literally and figuratively.

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

  1. Je désenlaçais mes cheveux avant de me coucher.
    (I used to unclasp my hair before going to bed.)
  2. Elle désenlaçait le nœud compliqué avec patience.
    (She was untangling the complicated knot with patience.)
  3. Nous désenlacions les mains de l’enfant pour qu’il puisse jouer librement.
    (We would unclasp the child’s hands so that he could play freely.)

These examples showcase the use of désenlacer in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désenlacer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désenlaçais Je désenlaçais mes bras. I was untangling my arms.
tu désenlaçais Tu désenlaçais doucement. You were untangling gently.
il désenlaçait Il désenlaçait ses doigts. He was untangling his fingers.
elle désenlaçait Elle désenlaçait ses cheveux. She was untangling her hair.
on désenlaçait On désenlaçait avec précaution. We were untangling with caution.
nous désenlaçions Nous désenlaçions nos jambes. We were untangling our legs.
vous désenlaçiez Vous désenlaçiez vos mains. You were untangling your hands.
ils désenlaçaient Ils désenlaçaient les nœuds. They were untangling the knots.
elles désenlaçaient Elles désenlaçaient les cordes. They were untangling the ropes.

Other Conjugations for Désenlacer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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