Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessabler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dessabler

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The English translation of the French verb “dessabler” is “to remove sand” or “to de-sand.” The infinitive form “dessabler” is pronounced as day-sah-bley.

The word “dessabler” originates from the combination of the prefix “des-” (meaning “to undo” or “to remove”) and the verb “sabler” (meaning “to sand”). The language origin of “dessabler” is French, which is a Romance language derived from Latin.

In everyday French, the verb “dessabler” in the imparfait tense is commonly used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je dessablais souvent mes chaussures à la plage.
    (When I was a child, I would often de-sand my shoes at the beach.)

  2. Pendant les vacances, nous dessablions toujours nos affaires avant de rentrer à la maison.
    (During the holidays, we would always de-sand our belongings before returning home.)

  3. Tu dessablais ton sac de plage chaque fois que tu rentrais de la côte.
    (You would de-sand your beach bag every time you came back from the coast.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to express habitual or repeated actions in the past. The verb “dessabler” describes the act of removing sand from various objects or oneself.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dessabler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dessablais Je dessablais le jardin. I was removing sand from the garden.
tu dessablais Tu dessablais la plage. You were removing sand from the beach.
il dessablait Il dessablait la route. He was removing sand from the road.
elle dessablait Elle dessablait la cour. She was removing sand from the courtyard.
on dessablait On dessablait la piscine. We were removing sand from the pool.
nous dessablions Nous dessablions le terrain de jeu. We were removing sand from the playground.
vous dessabliez Vous dessabliez le chemin. You were removing sand from the path.
ils dessablaient Ils dessablaient la rivière. They were removing sand from the river.
elles dessablaient Elles dessablaient le port. They were removing sand from the harbor.

Other Conjugations for Dessabler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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