Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Introduction to the verb désister
The English translation of the French verb désister is “to withdraw” or “to give up.” The infinitive form, désister, is pronounced as “day-zeest-ay.”
Désister is derived from the Latin word “desistere,” meaning “to stand back” or “to stop.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express an ongoing or repeated action in the past. The imparfait tense typically describes background information, habits, or ongoing states in the past.
Here are three examples of désister in the imparfait tense with their English translations:
-
Je me désistais régulièrement dans cette compétition.
(I would regularly withdraw from this competition.) -
Tu te désistais souvent au dernier moment.
(You would often back out at the last moment.) -
Nous nous désistions chaque fois qu’il pleuvait.
(We would give up every time it rained.)
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désister
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | désistais | Je désistais souvent. | I used to give up often. |
tu | désistais | Tu désistais rapidement. | You used to give up quickly. |
il | désistait | Il désistait facilement. | He used to give up easily. |
elle | désistait | Elle désistait régulièrement. | She used to give up regularly. |
on | désistait | On désistait fréquemment. | We used to give up frequently. |
nous | désistions | Nous désistions rarement. | We used to give up rarely. |
vous | désistiez | Vous désistiez volontiers. | You used to give up willingly. |
ils | désistaient | Ils désistaient systématiquement. | They used to give up systematically. |
elles | désistaient | Elles désistaient prudemment. | They used to give up cautiously. |
Other Conjugations for Désister.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
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Désister – 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 désister. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!