Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désoler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désoler

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The English translation of the French verb “désoler” is “to apologize” or “to be sorry”. The infinitive form “désoler” is pronounced as [de-zo-le].

The word “désoler” comes from the Latin word “desolare” meaning “to abandon”. In everyday French, “désoler” is most often used in the imparfait tense to express a continuous or repeated feeling of regret or apology. It is used to describe a state of being sorry or feeling sorry for someone or something.

Three simple examples of “désoler” in the imparfait tense with their English translations are:

  1. Je me désolais de ne pas pouvoir t’aider. (I used to be sorry that I couldn’t help you.)
  2. Elle se désolait de ses mauvaises notes. (She used to be sorry about her bad grades.)
  3. Nous nous désolions de la situation difficile. (We used to be sorry about the difficult situation.)

Note: The imparfait tense in French is often translated to English as “used to” or “was/were ___-ing”.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désoler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désolais Je désolais souvent mes amis. I used to apologize to my friends.
tu désolais Tu désolais tes parents. You used to apologize to your parents.
il désolait Il désolait tout le monde. He used to apologize to everyone.
elle désolait Elle désolait ses collègues. She used to apologize to her colleagues.
on désolait On désolait nos voisins. We used to apologize to our neighbors.
nous désolions Nous désolions nos professeurs. We used to apologize to our teachers.
vous désoliez Vous désoliez souvent. You used to apologize often.
ils désolaient Ils désolaient leurs amis. They used to apologize to their friends.
elles désolaient Elles désolaient leurs proches. They used to apologize to their loved ones.

Other Conjugations for Désoler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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