Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désentortiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désentortiller

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désentortiller. 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 “désentortiller” is “to untangle” or “to unwind.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “désentortiller” is as follows: day-zahn-tor-tee-yay.

The verb “désentortiller” is derived from the combination of the prefix “dés-” (which indicates a reversal or negation) and the verb “entortiller” (to twist or tangle). It is often used in everyday French to describe the action of untangling or unwinding something, both literally and figuratively.

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

  1. Chaque matin, je désentortillais mes cheveux avant de les coiffer. (Every morning, I would untangle my hair before styling it.)
  2. Il désentortillait les fils électriques avec précaution pour éviter les courts-circuits. (He was untangling the electrical wires carefully to avoid short circuits.)
  3. Nous passions des heures à désentortiller les nœuds de la corde. (We spent hours untangling the knots in the rope.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désentortiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désentortillais Je désentortillais le fil. I was untangling the wire.
tu désentortillais Tu désentortillais tes cheveux. You were untangling your hair.
il désentortillait Il désentortillait la corde. He was untangling the rope.
elle désentortillait Elle désentortillait son bracelet. She was untangling her bracelet.
on désentortillait On désentortillait les fils électriques. We were untangling the electrical wires.
nous désentortillions Nous désentortillions les câbles. We were untangling the cables.
vous désentortilliez Vous désentortilliez le ruban. You were untangling the ribbon.
ils désentortillaient Ils désentortillaient les fils. They were untangling the wires.
elles désentortillaient Elles désentortillaient les cordes. They were untangling the ropes.

Other Conjugations for Désentortiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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