Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessoûler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dessoûler

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The English translation of the French verb “dessoûler” is “to sober up.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “deh-soo-lay.”

The word “dessoûler” originates from the combination of the prefix “de-” (indicating the reversal of an action) and the verb “soûler” (meaning “to get drunk” or “to intoxicate”). It is most commonly used in everyday French to describe the process of becoming sober or recovering from the effects of alcohol.

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

  1. Chaque matin, il dessoûlait doucement après une nuit de fête.
    (Every morning, he would slowly sober up after a night of partying.)

  2. Nous dessoûlions en buvant beaucoup d’eau et en mangeant des aliments légers.
    (We would sober up by drinking a lot of water and eating light food.)

  3. Pendant la réunion, elle dessoûlait lentement après avoir consommé une grande quantité d’alcool.
    (During the meeting, she was slowly sobering up after consuming a large amount of alcohol.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dessoûler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dessoûlais Je dessoûlais lentement. I was sobering up slowly.
tu dessoûlais Tu dessoûlais rapidement. You were sobering up quickly.
il dessoûlait Il dessoûlait tranquillement. He was sobering up calmly.
elle dessoûlait Elle dessoûlait discrètement. She was sobering up discreetly.
on dessoûlait On dessoûlait progressivement. We were sobering up gradually.
nous dessoûlions Nous dessoûlions ensemble. We were sobering up together.
vous dessoûliez Vous dessoûliez gentiment. You were sobering up kindly.
ils dessoûlaient Ils dessoûlaient bruyamment. They were sobering up loudly.
elles dessoûlaient Elles dessoûlaient calmement. They were sobering up calmly.

Other Conjugations for Dessoûler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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