Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désensimer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désensimer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désensimer. 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 désensimer is “to desensimize.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “désensimer” is [de-zan-see-may].

The word désensimer is a combination of the prefix dés- (which can indicate a reversal or removal) and the verb “ensimer” (to desensitize or make insensitive). It is not a commonly used verb in everyday French and does not have a specified usage in the imparfait tense.

As there are no specific examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, it is not possible to provide three examples of its usage along with their respective English translations. However, if we were to assume a hypothetical usage in the imparfait tense, here are three examples:

  1. Pendant mon enfance, je désensimais mes peurs nocturnes en gardant la lumière allumée. (During my childhood, I would desensimize my nighttime fears by keeping the light on.)
  2. Autrefois, nous désensimions nos animaux de compagnie pour qu’ils s’habituent aux bruits forts. (In the past, we used to desensimize our pets so that they would get used to loud noises.)
  3. Quand j’étais étudiant, je désensimais ma sensibilité aux critiques en me concentrant sur mes objectifs. (When I was a student, I would desensimize my sensitivity to criticism by focusing on my goals.)

Please note that these examples are hypothetical and not based on common usage. The verb désensimer is not widely used, and its usage may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désensimer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désensimais Je désensimais la situation. I was making the situation less complicated.
tu désensimais Tu désensimais les problèmes. You were making the problems less complicated.
il désensimait Il désensimait sa vie. He was making his life less complicated.
elle désensimait Elle désensimait ses pensées. She was making her thoughts less complicated.
on désensimait On désensimait les choses. We were making things less complicated.
nous désensions Nous désensions ensemble. We were making it less complicated together.
vous désensimiez Vous désensimiez les situations. You were making the situations less complicated.
ils désensimaient Ils désensimaient les décisions. They were making the decisions less complicated.
elles désensimaient Elles désensimaient leur travail. They were making their work less complicated.

Other Conjugations for Désensimer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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