Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dételer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dételer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dételer. 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 dételer is “to unhitch” or “to unhook.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “dételer” is “day-teh-lay.”

The verb dételer is derived from the Old French word “deteler,” which comes from the combination of the prefix “de-” (which indicates separation) and the verb “teler” (meaning “to harness”). It is often used in everyday French to describe the action of unhooking or disconnecting something, specifically in the context of unhitching a horse or unfastening a vehicle from a hitch.

Here are three simple examples of the verb dételer in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, je détela is the imparfait tense of dételer.
    Translation: Every evening, I would unhitch.

  2. Pendant les vacances, nous détélions la caravane régulièrement.
    Translation: During the holidays, we used to unhitch the caravan regularly.

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, mon père détela le cheval après chaque balade.
    Translation: When I was a child, my father would unhitch the horse after every ride.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dételer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je détinais Je détinais le cheval. I was unharnessing the horse.
tu détinais Tu détinais les chevaux. You were unharnessing the horses.
il détinait Il détinait le chariot. He was unharnessing the cart.
elle détinait Elle détinait la calèche. She was unharnessing the carriage.
on détinait On détinait les animaux. We were unharnessing the animals.
nous détinions Nous détinions les attelages. We were unharnessing the teams.
vous détiniez Vous détiniez les bêtes de trait. You were unharnessing the draft animals.
ils détenaient Ils détenaient les voitures. They were unharnessing the wagons.
elles détenaient Elles détenaient les carrosses. They were unharnessing the coaches.

Other Conjugations for Dételer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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