Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessaler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dessaler

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The English translation of the French verb “dessaler” is “to desalinate” or “to remove salt.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “deh-sah-leh.”

The word “dessaler” is derived from the combination of the prefix “des-” (which indicates the removal or reversal of an action) and the verb “saler” (to salt). It is primarily used in the context of cooking and refers to the process of removing salt from food, usually by rinsing or soaking.

In everyday French, the imparfait tense is commonly used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. When using “dessaler” in the imparfait tense, it typically describes the continuous or habitual act of removing salt from food.

Here are three examples of “dessaler” used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je dessalais les légumes avant de les cuisiner.
    (I used to desalinate the vegetables before cooking them.)

  2. Pendant mon régime, je dessalais toujours mes plats pour réduire ma consommation de sel.
    (During my diet, I would always desalinate my dishes to reduce my salt intake.)

  3. Autrefois, on dessalait la viande pour enlever l’excès de sel.
    (In the past, people used to desalinate meat to remove the excess salt.)

Please note that these translations aim to capture the intended meaning, but they may vary based on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dessaler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dessalais Je dessalais la viande. I was desalting the meat.
tu dessalais Tu dessalais les légumes. You were desalting the vegetables.
il dessalait Il dessalait le poisson. He was desalting the fish.
elle dessalait Elle dessalait les olives. She was desalting the olives.
on dessalait On dessalait les aliments. We were desalting the food.
nous dessalions Nous dessalions les fruits de mer. We were desalting the seafood.
vous dessaliez Vous dessaliez les plats. You were desalting the dishes.
ils dessalaient Ils dessalaient les aliments. They were desalting the food.
elles dessalaient Elles dessalaient les produits. They were desalting the products.

Other Conjugations for Dessaler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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