Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désinfecter

Introduction to the verb désinfecter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désinfecter. 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 “désinfecter” is “to disinfect.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “désinfecter” is [dey-zan-fek-tey].

“Désinfecter” in French is derived from the Latin word “disinfectare,” which means “to disinfect.” It is primarily used in everyday French to refer to the action of cleaning or sterilizing something to eliminate or reduce the presence of germs, bacteria, or viruses. It is commonly used in the context of cleaning and hygiene, especially in medical or sanitary situations.

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

  1. Chaque matin, je désinfectais mes mains avant de commencer à travailler.
    (Every morning, I would disinfect my hands before starting to work.)

  2. Quand j’étais enfant, ma mère désinfectait toujours les plaies avec de l’alcool.
    (When I was a child, my mother would always disinfect wounds with alcohol.)

  3. Pendant l’épidémie, ils désinfectaient régulièrement toutes les surfaces pour éviter la propagation du virus.
    (During the epidemic, they would regularly disinfect all surfaces to prevent the spread of the virus.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désinfecter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désinfectais Je désinfectais la maison. I was disinfecting the house.
tu désinfectais Tu désinfectais tes mains. You were disinfecting your hands.
il désinfectait Il désinfectait la salle de bain. He was disinfecting the bathroom.
elle désinfectait Elle désinfectait les surfaces. She was disinfecting the surfaces.
on désinfectait On désinfectait les objets. We were disinfecting the objects.
nous désinfections Nous désinfections tous les jours. We were disinfecting every day.
vous désinfectiez Vous désinfectiez les outils. You were disinfecting the tools.
ils désinfectaient Ils désinfectaient les lieux publics. They were disinfecting public places.
elles désinfectaient Elles désinfectaient les chambres. They were disinfecting the rooms.

Other Conjugations for Désinfecter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the désinfecter imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply