Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détromper

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détromper

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of détromper. 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 détromper is “to disillusion” or “to disabuse”. The infinitive form of détromper is pronounced as “day-trom-pay”.

The word détromper comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-“, which signifies negation, and the verb “tromper”, meaning “to deceive” or “to mislead”. Therefore, détromper can be understood as “to un-deceive” or “to un-mislead”.

In everyday French, détromper is often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The imparfait tense is commonly used to talk about background information, habits, or states of being in the past.

Three examples of détromper used in the imparfait tense with their English translations are:

  1. Je le détrompais régulièrement sur ses idées fausses.
    (I used to disillusion him regularly about his misconceptions.)

  2. Elle me détrompait avec gentillesse chaque fois que je me trompais.
    (She used to disabuse me kindly every time I was mistaken.)

  3. Nous détrompions nos enfants sur la réalité du Père Noël.
    (We used to disillusion our children about the reality of Santa Claus.)

Note: The translations provided are a combination of the imparfait tense and the context of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of détromper

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je détrompais Je détrompais mes amis. I would disillusion my friends.
tu détrompais Tu détrompais ta sœur. You would disillusion your sister.
il détrompait Il détrompait tout le monde. He would disillusion everyone.
elle détrompait Elle détrompait ses parents. She would disillusion her parents.
on détrompait On détrompait les élèves. We would disillusion the students.
nous détrompions Nous détrompions nos collègues. We would disillusion our colleagues.
vous détrompiez Vous détrompiez vos enfants. You would disillusion your children.
ils détrompaient Ils détrompaient leurs voisins. They would disillusion their neighbors.
elles détrompaient Elles détrompaient leurs amis. They would disillusion their friends.

Other Conjugations for Détromper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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