Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détonner

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The English translation of the French verb “détonner” is “to stand out” or “to be out of place.” The infinitive form “détonner” is pronounced as [de.tɔ.ne].

The word “détonner” comes from the Latin word “tonare,” meaning “to thunder.” In everyday French, it is mostly used in the imparfait tense to describe something that was standing out or seemed out of place in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, sa tenue colorée détonnait dans la salle de classe.
    (When I was young, his colorful outfit stood out in the classroom.)

  2. Cette voiture rouge détonnait parmi toutes les voitures noires du parking.
    (This red car stood out among all the black cars in the parking lot.)

  3. Les cheveux verts de cette femme détonnaient dans la foule.
    (The green hair of that woman stood out in the crowd.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of détonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je détonnais Je détonnais dans la foule. I stood out in the crowd.
tu détonnais Tu détonnais avec ton style. You stood out with your style.
il détonnait Il détonnait dans le groupe. He stood out in the group.
elle détonnait Elle détonnait parmi les autres. She stood out among the others.
on détonnait On détonnait avec notre originalité. We stood out with our originality.
nous détonnions Nous détonnions dans cette tenue. We stood out in this outfit.
vous détonniez Vous détonniez avec votre talent. You stood out with your talent.
ils détonnaient Ils détonnaient dans la compétition. They stood out in the competition.
elles détonnaient Elles détonnaient avec leur énergie. They stood out with their energy.

Other Conjugations for Détonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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