Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désensabler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désensabler

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The English translation of the French verb désensabler is “to dislodge sand” or “to clear sand.” The infinitive form désensabler is pronounced as “day-zawn-sah-blay.”

Désensabler is derived from the combination of two French words: “dé-” which is a prefix indicating removal or reversal, and “ensabler” which means “to bury in sand” or “to fill with sand.” Therefore, désensabler refers to the action of removing or clearing away sand.

In everyday French, désensabler is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The imparfait tense indicates an incomplete or continuous action in the past. It is often used to set the scene, describe habits, or provide background information.

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

  1. Chaque jour, nous désensablions les voies d’accès à la plage.
    Translation: Every day, we were clearing the access paths to the beach.

  2. Pendant l’été, les employés de la commune désensablaient régulièrement les rues près des dunes.
    Translation: During the summer, the municipality employees were regularly dislodging sand from the streets near the dunes.

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, mon grand-père désensablait le puits du jardin chaque printemps.
    Translation: When I was a child, my grandfather would clear the sand from the well in the garden every spring.

Note: The English translations provided are approximate and may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désensabler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désensablais Je désensablais la voiture. I was unsticking the car from the sand.
tu désensablais Tu désensablais la plage. You were unsticking the beach.
il désensablait Il désensablait la route. He was unsticking the road.
elle désensablait Elle désensablait son sac. She was unsticking her bag.
on désensablait On désensablait les objets. We were unsticking the objects.
nous désensablions Nous désensablions les chaussures. We were unsticking the shoes.
vous désensabliez Vous désensabliez le bateau. You were unsticking the boat.
ils désensablaient Ils désensablaient le pont. They were unsticking the bridge.
elles désensablaient Elles désensablaient les valises. They were unsticking the suitcases.

Other Conjugations for Désensabler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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