Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Introduction to the verb détortiller
The English translation of the French verb détortiller is “to untwist” or “to untangle.” The infinitive form, détortiller, is pronounced as “deh-tor-tee-yay.”
Détortiller comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (which indicates undoing or reversing) and the verb “tortiller” (meaning to twist or coil). It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of untwisting or untangling something, particularly when referring to hair or thread.
Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Chaque matin, elle détortillait ses cheveux. (Every morning, she untwisted her hair.)
- Nous détortillions les fils électriques avant de les brancher. (We untwisted the electrical wires before plugging them in.)
- Ils détortillaient les écharpes pour les ranger dans le placard. (They untangled the scarves to put them away in the closet.)
In these examples, détortiller is used to express the ongoing action of untwisting or untangling in the past, as it is commonly used in the imparfait tense.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of détortiller
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | détortillais | Je détortillais mes cheveux. | I was untangling my hair. |
tu | détortillais | Tu détortillais le fil. | You were untangling the thread. |
il | détortillait | Il détortillait la corde. | He was untangling the rope. |
elle | détortillait | Elle détortillait les boucles. | She was untangling the curls. |
on | détortillait | On détortillait les câbles. | We were untangling the cables. |
nous | détortillions | Nous détortillions les fils. | We were untangling the wires. |
vous | détortilliez | Vous détortilliez les rubans. | You were untangling the ribbons. |
ils | détortillaient | Ils détortillaient les cordons. | They were untangling the cords. |
elles | détortillaient | Elles détortillaient les tresses. | They were untangling the braids. |
Other Conjugations for Détortiller.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détortiller
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Détortiller – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb détortiller. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!