Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désenrayer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désenrayer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désenrayer. 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 désenrayer is “to unjam” or “to unclog.” The infinitive form, désenrayer, is pronounced as “day-zahn-rey-ay.”

Désenrayer is derived from the combination of the prefix “dése-” (which implies the action of undoing or reversing) and the verb “enrayer” (which means “to jam” or “to block”). It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of resolving or fixing a situation that is stuck or obstructed.

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

  1. Chaque semaine, il désenrayait les machines de l’usine.
    (Every week, he was unjamming the machines in the factory.)

  2. Nous désenrayions régulièrement le trafic en ajustant les feux de signalisation.
    (We used to unclog the traffic regularly by adjusting the traffic lights.)

  3. Pendant la réunion, ils désenrayaient les discussions en proposant des solutions.
    (During the meeting, they were unjamming the discussions by suggesting solutions.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désenrayer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désenrayais Je désenrayais la machine. I was fixing the machine.
tu désenrayais Tu désenrayais le moteur. You were fixing the engine.
il désenrayait Il désenrayait la roue. He was fixing the wheel.
elle désenrayait Elle désenrayait la chaîne. She was fixing the chain.
on désenrayait On désenrayait le mécanisme. We were fixing the mechanism.
nous désenrayions Nous désenrayions les engrenages. We were fixing the gears.
vous désenrayiez Vous désenrayiez le système. You were fixing the system.
ils désenrayaient Ils désenrayaient les freins. They were fixing the brakes.
elles désenrayaient Elles désenrayaient les pièces. They were fixing the parts.

Other Conjugations for Désenrayer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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