Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désoccuper

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désoccuper

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of désoccuper. 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 “désoccuper” is “to vacate” or “to free up.” The infinitive form of “désoccuper” is pronounced as “day-zoh-koo-pay.”

The word “désoccuper” comes from the combination of the prefix “dés-” (meaning “un-” or “dis-“) and the verb “occuper” (meaning “to occupy”). It is most often used in everyday French to indicate the action of freeing up or vacating a space.

In the imparfait tense, “désoccuper” is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, nous désoccupions la chambre d’amis pour accueillir nos invités.
    (Every evening, we would vacate the guest room to welcome our guests.)

  2. Lorsque nous partions en vacances, nous désoccupions notre appartement en le louant.
    (When we went on vacation, we would vacate our apartment by renting it out.)

  3. Pendant la rénovation, nous désoccupions les pièces une par une pour les travaux.
    (During the renovation, we would vacate each room one by one for the works.)

Please note that these translations are approximate, as the imparfait tense can have various interpretations depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désoccuper

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désoccupais Je me désoccupais de mes devoirs. I was getting unoccupied from my homework.
tu désoccupais Tu te désoccupais de tes soucis. You were getting unoccupied from your worries.
il désoccupait Il se désoccupait de ses responsabilités. He was getting unoccupied from his responsibilities.
elle désoccupait Elle se désoccupait de ses problèmes. She was getting unoccupied from her problems.
on désoccupait On se désoccupait de la situation. We were getting unoccupied from the situation.
nous désoccupions Nous nous désoccupions de nos tâches. We were getting unoccupied from our tasks.
vous désoccupiez Vous vous désoccupiez de vos préoccupations. You were getting unoccupied from your concerns.
ils désoccupaient Ils se désoccupaient de leurs obligations. They were getting unoccupied from their obligations.
elles désoccupaient Elles se désoccupaient de leurs responsabilités. They were getting unoccupied from their responsibilities.

Other Conjugations for Désoccuper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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