Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dévisager

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dévisager

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dévisager. 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 dévisager is “to stare at” or “to scrutinize.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form dévisager is “day-vee-za-zhay.”

Dévisager originated from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (indicating a reversal or intensity) and the verb “visage” (meaning “face”). It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of staring at someone intensely, typically with a mix of curiosity, surprise, or disapproval.

Examples of dévisager in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je dévisageais souvent les personnes étrangères. (When I was a child, I used to stare at strangers often.)
  2. Elle dévisageait son professeur avec méfiance chaque jour. (She used to scrutinize her teacher with suspicion every day.)
  3. Nous dévisagions timidement nos voisins à travers la fenêtre. (We used to shyly gaze at our neighbors through the window.)

Note: The imparfait tense in French is used to describe repeated or ongoing actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dévisager

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dévisageais Je dévisageais les gens dans la foule. I used to stare at people in the crowd.
tu dévisageais Tu dévisageais toujours les étrangers. You used to stare at strangers all the time.
il dévisageait Il dévisageait les passants avec curiosité. He used to stare at passersby with curiosity.
elle dévisageait Elle dévisageait les gens avec méfiance. She used to stare at people with suspicion.
on dévisageait On dévisageait les inconnus sans raison. We used to stare at strangers for no reason.
nous dévisagions Nous dévisagions les célébrités à la télévision. We used to stare at celebrities on TV.
vous dévisagiez Vous dévisagiez les gens avec admiration. You used to stare at people with admiration.
ils dévisageaient Ils dévisageaient les touristes dans la rue. They used to stare at tourists in the street.
elles dévisageaient Elles dévisageaient les enfants avec douceur. They used to stare at children with tenderness.

Other Conjugations for Dévisager.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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