Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désenrouer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désenrouer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désenrouer. 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 désenrouer is “to untangle”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form, désenrouer, is /de.zɑ̃.ʁu.e/.

Désenrouer comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating reversal or removal) and the verb “enrouer” (to tangle or entangle). It is not a commonly used verb in everyday French, but it refers to the action of untangling something that is tangled or knotted.

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

  1. Je désenrouais les fils électriques.
    (I was untangling the electrical wires.)

  2. Tu désenrouais la pelote de laine.
    (You were untangling the ball of yarn.)

  3. Il désenrouait le câble d’ordinateur.
    (He was untangling the computer cable.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désenrouer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désenrouais Je désenrouais le fil. I was unwinding the thread.
tu désenrouais Tu désenrouais la corde. You were unwinding the rope.
il désenrouait Il désenrouait le câble. He was unwinding the cable.
elle désenrouait Elle désenrouait le ruban. She was unwinding the ribbon.
on désenrouait On désenrouait la ficelle. We were unwinding the string.
nous désenrouions Nous désenrouions le tuyau. We were unwinding the hose.
vous désenrouiez Vous désenrouiez le cordon. You were unwinding the cord.
ils désenrouaient Ils désenrouaient le fil. They were unwinding the thread.
elles désenrouaient Elles désenrouaient la corde. They were unwinding the rope.

Other Conjugations for Désenrouer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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