Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dessuinter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dessuinter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dessuinter. 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 “dessuinter” is “to remove stains or marks.” The infinitive form “dessuinter” is pronounced as “deh-swee-ntay”.

The word “dessuinter” comes from the combination of the prefix “des-” (indicating removal) and the verb “suinter” (meaning “to ooze” or “to seep”). It is mainly used in everyday French to describe the action of removing stains or marks from a surface.

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

  1. Chaque semaine, je dessuin-ais les taches de vin sur la nappe. (Every week, I used to remove wine stains from the tablecloth.)
  2. Le professeur dessuin-ait les erreurs sur les copies des élèves. (The teacher would remove the mistakes from the students’ papers.)
  3. Mes grands-parents dessuin-aient les taches sur les vieux meubles en bois. (My grandparents used to remove the stains from the old wooden furniture.)

Note: The verb “dessuinter” is not as commonly used as other verbs in French, but it can be found in specific contexts related to cleaning or removing stains.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dessuinter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dessuinais Je dessuinais les contours. I was outlining.
tu dessuinais Tu dessuinais les détails. You were sketching the details.
il dessuinait Il dessuinait le paysage. He was drawing the landscape.
elle dessuinait Elle dessuinait les formes. She was tracing the shapes.
on dessuinait On dessuinait des animaux. We were drawing animals.
nous dessuinions Nous dessuinions ensemble. We were drawing together.
vous dessuiniez Vous dessuiniez avec précision. You were drawing with precision.
ils dessuinaient Ils dessuinaient les portraits. They were sketching the portraits.
elles dessuinaient Elles dessuinaient les objets. They were outlining the objects.

Other Conjugations for Dessuinter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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