Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dessiller

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The English translation of the French verb “dessiller” is “to uncloak” or “to open one’s eyes.” The infinitive form of “dessiller” is pronounced as [de-si-yay].

The word “dessiller” originated from the Old French term “des-sillier,” which comes from the combination of the prefix “des-” (indicating removal) and the word “siller” (meaning “eyelid”). In everyday French, “dessiller” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express an ongoing and repeated action in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, mes parents me dessillaient souvent en me racontant des histoires.
    (When I was a child, my parents would often open my eyes by telling me stories.)

  2. Elle dessillait les yeux de ses élèves en les emmenant en excursion dans la nature.
    (She used to uncloak her students by taking them on nature excursions.)

  3. Nous dessillions nos amis à la réalité en leur montrant les conséquences de leurs actions.
    (We used to open our friends’ eyes to reality by showing them the consequences of their actions.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dessiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dessillais Je dessillais mes yeux. I was opening my eyes.
tu dessillais Tu dessillais ton esprit. You were opening your mind.
il dessillait Il dessillait son cœur. He was opening his heart.
elle dessillait Elle dessillait son esprit. She was opening her mind.
on dessillait On dessillait nos yeux. We were opening our eyes.
nous dessillions Nous dessillions nos esprits. We were opening our minds.
vous dessilliez Vous dessilliez vos yeux. You were opening your eyes.
ils dessillaient Ils dessillaient leurs cœurs. They were opening their hearts.
elles dessillaient Elles dessillaient leurs esprits. They were opening their minds.

Other Conjugations for Dessiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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