Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désiler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désiler

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The English translation of the French verb désiler is “to unthread” or “to string out.”

The pronunciation of the infinitive form “désiler” in French is: day-zeel-ay.

“Désiler” is derived from the Old French word “deslacer,” which means “to unlace” or “to undo.” It is primarily used in everyday French to describe the action of undoing or removing a thread or string from something. It can be used literally, for example, when unthreading a needle or untangling a necklace. Figuratively, it can refer to the act of unraveling or disentangling a complicated situation.

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

  1. Chaque soir, je désilais les perles du collier que ma grand-mère m’avait offert. (Every evening, I would unthread the pearls from the necklace my grandmother had given me.)
  2. Pendant la réunion, le professeur désilait les étapes du problème pour que nous puissions les comprendre. (During the meeting, the teacher was unthreading the steps of the problem so that we could understand them.)
  3. Quand j’étais enfant, je désilais mes vêtements préférés et les arrangeais à ma façon. (When I was a child, I would unthread my favorite clothes and arrange them my own way.)

Note: The imparfait tense in French indicates an ongoing or repeated action in the past and can be translated in English as “was/were + verb+ing” or “used to + verb.”

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désiler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désilais Je désilais la laine. I was unraveling the wool.
tu désilais Tu désilais le tricot. You were undoing the knitting.
il désilait Il désilait le fil. He was untangling the thread.
elle désilait Elle désilait les écheveaux. She was unwinding the skeins.
on désilait On désilait les pelotes. We were unwinding the balls of yarn.
nous désilions Nous désilions les fils. We were unraveling the yarns.
vous désiliez Vous désiliez les tissus. You were untangling the fabrics.
ils désilaient Ils désilaient les cordes. They were untwisting the ropes.
elles désilaient Elles désilaient les câbles. They were untangling the cables.

Other Conjugations for Désiler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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