Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Introduction to the verb dessiner
The English translation of the French verb “dessiner” is “to draw.” The infinitive form “dessiner” is pronounced as “deh-see-nay.”
The word “dessiner” has its origins in the Latin word “designare,” which means “to delineate” or “to designate.” In everyday French, “dessiner” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or habitual past actions.
Here are three simple examples of “dessiner” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
-
Quand j’étais enfant, je dessinais tout le temps.
(When I was a child, I used to draw all the time.) -
Nous dessinions des paysages pendant les cours d’art.
(We used to draw landscapes during art class.) -
Vous dessiniez des portraits de vos amis.
(You used to draw portraits of your friends.)
These examples show how “dessiner” in the imparfait tense is used to describe past actions that were habitual or ongoing in nature.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dessiner
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | dessinais | Je dessinais des paysages. | I was drawing landscapes. |
tu | dessinais | Tu dessinais bien. | You were drawing well. |
il | dessinait | Il dessinait des portraits. | He was drawing portraits. |
elle | dessinait | Elle dessinait des animaux. | She was drawing animals. |
on | dessinait | On dessinait ensemble. | We were drawing together. |
nous | dessinions | Nous dessinions des maisons. | We were drawing houses. |
vous | dessiniez | Vous dessiniez des fleurs. | You were drawing flowers. |
ils | dessinaient | Ils dessinaient des bâtiments. | They were drawing buildings. |
elles | dessinaient | Elles dessinaient des objets. | They were drawing objects. |
Other Conjugations for Dessiner.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessiner
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Dessiner – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb dessiner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!