Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déshydrater

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déshydrater

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of déshydrater. 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 “déshydrater” is “to dehydrate.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-zee-dra-tay.”

The word “déshydrater” originates from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which denotes negation or reversal) and the verb “hydrater” (to hydrate). In everyday French, “déshydrater” is commonly used to refer to the process of removing moisture or drying out something. It is often used in the context of food preservation or medical situations.

Here are three examples of “déshydrater” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je déshydratais régulièrement des fruits pour les conserver pendant l’hiver.
    (I used to dehydrate fruits regularly to preserve them during winter.)

  2. Pendant notre voyage en camping, nous déshydrations de la viande pour la rendre plus légère.
    (During our camping trip, we used to dehydrate meat to make it lighter.)

  3. Elle déshydratait les légumes pour en faire des chips maison.
    (She used to dehydrate vegetables to make homemade chips.)

English translations:

  1. I used to dehydrate fruits regularly to preserve them during winter.
  2. During our camping trip, we used to dehydrate meat to make it lighter.
  3. She used to dehydrate vegetables to make homemade chips.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of déshydrater

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je déshydratais Je déshydratais des fruits. I was dehydrating fruits.
tu déshydratais Tu déshydratais la viande. You were dehydrating the meat.
il déshydratait Il déshydratait les légumes. He was dehydrating the vegetables.
elle déshydratait Elle déshydratait les champignons. She was dehydrating the mushrooms.
on déshydratait On déshydratait les herbes. We were dehydrating the herbs.
nous déshydrations Nous déshydrations de la nourriture. We were dehydrating food.
vous déshydratiez Vous déshydratiez les aliments. You were dehydrating the food.
ils déshydrataient Ils déshydrataient les fruits et légumes. They were dehydrating fruits and vegetables.
elles déshydrataient Elles déshydrataient les baies. They were dehydrating berries.

Other Conjugations for Déshydrater.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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