Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessouler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dessouler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dessouler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb dessouler is “to sober up.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form dessouler is [de-soo-le].

Dessouler is derived from the combination of two words: “de,” which means “from” or “off,” and “souler,” which means “to get drunk.” Therefore, dessouler literally means “to get off (being) drunk.” In everyday French, dessouler is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe the process of sobering up or recovering from the effects of alcohol.

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

  1. Hier soir, je dessoulais après la fête.
    (Last night, I was sobering up after the party.)

  2. Pendant des heures, nous dessoulions au café en discutant.
    (For hours, we were sobering up at the café while chatting.)

  3. Ils dessoulaient lentement en buvant beaucoup d’eau.
    (They were sobering up slowly by drinking a lot of water.)

Note: In these examples, the action of dessouler is ongoing or in progress in the past, hence the use of the imparfait tense.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dessouler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dessoulais Je dessoulais lentement. I was sobering up slowly.
tu dessoulais Tu dessoulais rapidement. You were sobering up quickly.
il dessoulait Il dessoulait tranquillement. He was sobering up peacefully.
elle dessoulait Elle dessoulait doucement. She was sobering up gently.
on dessoulait On dessoulait discrètement. We were sobering up discreetly.
nous dessoulions Nous dessoulions ensemble. We were sobering up together.
vous dessouliez Vous dessouliez poliment. You were sobering up politely.
ils dessoulaient Ils dessoulaient bruyamment. They were sobering up noisily.
elles dessoulaient Elles dessoulaient joyeusement. They were sobering up joyfully.

Other Conjugations for Dessouler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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