Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb desseller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb desseller

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The English translation of the French verb “desseller” is “to unsaddle” or “to remove the saddle.” The infinitive form, “desseller,” is pronounced as “deh-sel-ay.”

The word “desseller” comes from the combination of the prefix “des-” (indicating removal) and the noun “selle” (meaning saddle). It is primarily used in the context of horseback riding to refer to the action of taking off or removing the saddle from a horse.

In everyday French, when used in the imparfait tense (imperfect tense), “desseller” describes a recurring or ongoing action that happened in the past. It often sets the stage for another event or describes a continuous state in the past.

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

  1. Chaque soir, je dessellais mon cheval après une longue journée de promenade à cheval.
    (Every evening, I would unsaddle my horse after a long day of horseback riding.)
  2. Pendant les compétitions équestres, nous dessellions les chevaux dès leur arrivée à l’écurie.
    (During equestrian competitions, we would unsaddle the horses as soon as they arrived at the stable.)
  3. Quand j’étais enfant, mon père dessellait toujours les chevaux après chaque promenade.
    (When I was a child, my father would always unsaddle the horses after each ride.)

These examples illustrate how “desseller” in the imparfait tense describes a regular or repeated action of removing the saddle from a horse in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of desseller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je désellais Je désellais mon cheval. I was unsaddling my horse.
tu désellais Tu désellais ta bicyclette. You were unstrapping your bicycle.
il désellait Il désellait le cheval. He was unsaddling the horse.
elle désellait Elle désellait sa moto. She was unstrapping her motorcycle.
on désellait On désellait les animaux. We were unsaddling the animals.
nous désellions Nous désellions les chevaux. We were unsaddling the horses.
vous déselliez Vous déselliez vos vélos. You were unstrapping your bikes.
ils désellaient Ils désellaient les ânes. They were unsaddling the donkeys.
elles désellaient Elles désellaient les poneys. They were unsaddling the ponies.

Other Conjugations for Desseller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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