Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désigner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désigner

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The English translation of the French verb désigner is “to designate” or “to point out.” The infinitive form, désigner, is pronounced as “day-zee-nyay.”

Désigner comes from the Latin word “designare,” which means “to mark out” or “to point out.” In everyday French, désigner is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of désigner in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je désignais souvent les erreurs dans ses travaux.
    (I used to point out the mistakes in his/her work.)

  2. Tu désignais le chemin à suivre.
    (You used to point out the way to go.)

  3. Il/Elle désignait toujours les coupables.
    (He/She used to designate the culprits.)

Note: The English translations provided are not literal translations, but rather the contextual meanings of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désigner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désignais Je désignais le gagnant. I was designating the winner.
tu désignais Tu désignais un représentant. You were designating a representative.
il désignait Il désignait le chef. He was designating the leader.
elle désignait Elle désignait un coupable. She was designating a culprit.
on désignait On désignait un responsable. We were designating someone responsible.
nous désignions Nous désignions un porte-parole. We were designating a spokesperson.
vous désigniez Vous désigniez un membre. You were designating a member.
ils désignaient Ils désignaient des volontaires. They were designating volunteers.
elles désignaient Elles désignaient des juges. They were designating judges.

Other Conjugations for Désigner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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