Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détalonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détalonner

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The English translation of the French verb détalonner is “to unshoe” or “to remove the horseshoes.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form détalonner is [day-tah-lon-ay].

The word détalonner has its origins in the combination of two French words: “dé” (meaning “un-” or “remove”) and “talon” (meaning “heel” or “horseshoe”). It is primarily used in the context of horses, referring to the act of removing the horseshoes from a horse’s hooves.

In everyday French, the verb détalonner in the imparfait tense is commonly used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque mois, le maréchal-ferrant détalonait les chevaux de l’écurie.
    (Every month, the blacksmith would unshoe the horses in the stable.)
  2. Quand j’étais enfant, mon grand-père détalonnait toujours son cheval après une longue journée de travail.
    (When I was a child, my grandfather would always remove the horseshoes from his horse after a long day of work.)
  3. Les ouvriers détalonnaient les chevaux de course après chaque compétition.
    (The workers would unshoe the racehorses after each competition.)

Please note that these translations are approximate and may vary based on the context of the sentence.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of détalonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je détalonais Je détalonais le cheval. I was removing the shoes from the horse.
tu détalonais Tu détalonais ton vélo. You were removing the pedals from your bike.
il détalonait Il détalonait les chaises. He was removing the legs from the chairs.
elle détalonait Elle détalonait ses bottes. She was removing the heels from her boots.
on détalonait On détalonait les poneys. We were removing the horseshoes from the ponies.
nous détalonions Nous détalonions nos chaussures. We were removing the heels from our shoes.
vous détaloniez Vous détaloniez les meubles. You were removing the legs from the furniture.
ils détalonaient Ils détalonaient les chevaux. They were removing the shoes from the horses.
elles détalonaient Elles détalonaient les vaches. They were removing the hooves from the cows.

Other Conjugations for Détalonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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