Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désillusionner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désillusionner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désillusionner. 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 “désillusionner” is “to disillusion”. The infinitive form of “désillusionner” is pronounced as [dez-i-ly-zo-neh].

The word “désillusionner” is derived from the combination of two French words: “dés” meaning “un-” or “dis-” and “illusionner” meaning “to deceive” or “to give illusions”. It is used to describe the act of disillusioning someone or causing them to lose their illusions or hopes.

In everyday French, the verb “désillusionner” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It is often used in narratives or descriptions to set the background or context.

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

  1. Pendant des années, elle me désillusionnait avec ses mensonges. (For years, she used to disillusion me with her lies.)
  2. Nous étions désillusionnés par la réalité du monde du travail. (We were disillusioned by the reality of the working world.)
  3. Vos paroles me désillusionnaient à chaque fois. (Your words used to disillusion me every time.)

Please note that the imparfait tense in English is often translated using the simple past tense or the construction “used to + verb”.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désillusionner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désillusionnais Je désillusionnais facilement. I used to disillusion easily.
tu désillusionnais Tu désillusionnais tes amis. You used to disillusion your friends.
il désillusionnait Il désillusionnait les spectateurs. He used to disillusion the spectators.
elle désillusionnait Elle désillusionnait ses parents. She used to disillusion her parents.
on désillusionnait On désillusionnait les étudiants. We used to disillusion the students.
nous désillusionnions Nous désillusionnions nos collègues. We used to disillusion our colleagues.
vous désillusionniez Vous désillusionniez facilement. You used to disillusion easily.
ils désillusionnaient Ils désillusionnaient leurs partenaires. They used to disillusion their partners.
elles désillusionnaient Elles désillusionnaient leurs clients. They used to disillusion their clients.

Other Conjugations for Désillusionner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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