Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dévaliser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dévaliser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dévaliser. 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 dévaliser is “to rob” or “to plunder.” The infinitive form “dévaliser” is pronounced as day-vah-lee-zay.

Dévaliser originates from the French word “valise,” meaning “suitcase” or “trunk.” It is formed by adding the prefix “dé-” (meaning “down” or “away”) to the word “valise,” thus creating the meaning of “emptying a suitcase” or “taking everything out of a trunk.” In everyday French, dévaliser is often used in the imparfait tense to describe past actions or continuous actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of dévaliser in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque nuit, ils dévalisaient les magasins du quartier. (Every night, they would rob the shops in the neighborhood.)
  2. Quand j’étais jeune, nous dévalisions les vergers pour avoir des fruits gratuits. (When I was young, we would plunder orchards to get free fruits.)
  3. Pendant la guerre, les soldats dévalisaient les maisons abandonnées à la recherche de nourriture. (During the war, soldiers would plunder abandoned houses in search of food.)

English translations:

  1. Every night, they would rob the shops in the neighborhood.
  2. When I was young, we would plunder orchards to get free fruits.
  3. During the war, soldiers would plunder abandoned houses in search of food.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dévaliser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dévalisais Je dévalisais la banque. I was robbing the bank.
tu dévalisais Tu dévalisais les magasins. You were looting the stores.
il dévalisait Il dévalisait les maisons. He was burglarizing the houses.
elle dévalisait Elle dévalisait les voitures. She was stealing from the cars.
on dévalisait On dévalisait les bijouteries. We were raiding the jewelry stores.
nous dévalisions Nous dévalisions les supermarchés. We were ransacking the supermarkets.
vous dévalisiez Vous dévalisiez les banques. You were plundering the banks.
ils dévalisaient Ils dévalisaient les musées. They were pillaging the museums.
elles dévalisaient Elles dévalisaient les galeries d’art. They were looting the art galleries.

Other Conjugations for Dévaliser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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