Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Introduction to the verb désirer
The English translation of the French verb désirer is “to desire” or “to wish.” The infinitive form, désirer, is pronounced as “day-zee-ray.”
The verb désirer originated from the Latin word “desiderare.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which expresses ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It is often used to talk about desires, wishes, or longings in the past.
Here are three examples of désirer in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
-
Je désirais partir en vacances chaque été.
(I used to desire to go on vacation every summer.) -
Tu désirais obtenir ce poste depuis longtemps.
(You wished to get that job for a long time.) -
Nous désirions vivre dans une grande maison.
(We desired to live in a big house.)
Note: The imparfait tense does not always have a direct translation in English, so the translations may vary depending on the context.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désirer
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | désirais | Je désirais partir. | I desired to leave. |
tu | désirais | Tu désirais une nouvelle voiture. | You desired a new car. |
il | désirait | Il désirait réussir. | He desired to succeed. |
elle | désirait | Elle désirait voyager. | She desired to travel. |
on | désirait | On désirait du silence. | We desired silence. |
nous | désirions | Nous désirions un bon repas. | We desired a good meal. |
vous | désiriez | Vous désiriez plus d’informations. | You desired more information. |
ils | désiraient | Ils désiraient gagner. | They desired to win. |
elles | désiraient | Elles désiraient changer de vie. | They desired to change their lives. |
Other Conjugations for Désirer.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désirer
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Désirer – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb désirer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!