Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désensorceler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désensorceler

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The English translation of the French verb “désensorceler” is “to break a spell” or “to undo a spell.” The infinitive form “désensorceler” is pronounced as [day-sohn-sohr-suh-leh].

The word “désensorceler” is derived from the combination of the prefix “dés-” meaning “undo” or “reverse” and the verb “ensorceler” meaning “to bewitch” or “to cast a spell.” It is used to describe the action of breaking or undoing a spell in French.

In everyday French, “désensorceler” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It expresses a sense of habitual or continuous past actions.

Three simple examples of the usage of “désensorceler” in the imparfait tense with their English translations are:

  1. Je désensorcelais les victimes avec mes potions magiques.
    (I used to break the victims’ spells with my magic potions.)

  2. Tous les soirs, elle désensorcelait sa maison pour éloigner les mauvais esprits.
    (Every evening, she used to break the spells in her house to ward off evil spirits.)

  3. Nous désensorcelions les animaux ensorcelés par le sorcier maléfique.
    (We used to break the spells on the bewitched animals by the evil sorcerer.)

Please note that the English translations provided are approximate and may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désensorceler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désensorcelais Je désensorcelais les victimes. I was undoing the spell on the victims.
tu désensorcelais Tu désensorcelais les animaux. You were undoing the spell on the animals.
il désensorcelait Il désensorcelait les objets. He was undoing the spell on the objects.
elle désensorcelait Elle désensorcelait les plantes. She was undoing the spell on the plants.
on désensorcelait On désensorcelait les maisons. We were undoing the spell on the houses.
nous désensorcelions Nous désensorcelions les personnes. We were undoing the spell on the people.
vous désensorceliez Vous désensorceliez les artefacts. You were undoing the spell on the artifacts.
ils désensorcelaient Ils désensorcelaient les endroits. They were undoing the spell on the places.
elles désensorcelaient Elles désensorcelaient les souvenirs. They were undoing the spell on the memories.

Other Conjugations for Désensorceler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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