Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déshabiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déshabiller

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déshabiller. 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 “déshabiller” is “to undress”. The infinitive form is pronounced as [dey-ah-bee-yey].

The word “déshabiller” is derived from two French words: “dés-“, which is a prefix denoting the opposite or removal, and “habiller”, meaning “to dress”. Therefore, “déshabiller” essentially means “to un-dress” or “to take off clothes”.

In everyday French, “déshabiller” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais petit, je me déshabillais en rentrant de l’école.
    (When I was little, I used to undress when coming home from school.)

  2. Tous les soirs, elle se déshabillait lentement avant de se coucher.
    (Every evening, she would undress slowly before going to bed.)

  3. Pendant les vacances d’été, nous nous déshabillions pour aller nager dans la mer.
    (During the summer holidays, we used to undress to go swimming in the sea.)

Please note that these translations are not word-for-word, but rather convey the general meaning of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déshabiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déshabillais Je déshabillais mon bébé. I was undressing my baby.
tu déshabillais Tu déshabillais le mannequin. You were undressing the mannequin.
il déshabillait Il déshabillait sa petite amie. He was undressing his girlfriend.
elle déshabillait Elle déshabillait son ami. She was undressing her friend.
on déshabillait On déshabillait les poupées. We were undressing the dolls.
nous déshabillions Nous déshabillions les enfants. We were undressing the children.
vous déshabilliez Vous déshabilliez les patients. You were undressing the patients.
ils déshabillaient Ils déshabillaient les modèles. They were undressing the models.
elles déshabillaient Elles déshabillaient les hommes. They were undressing the men.

Other Conjugations for Déshabiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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