Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb deviser

Introduction to the verb deviser

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The English translation of the French verb “deviser” is “to chat” or “to converse.” The infinitive form “deviser” is pronounced as “duh-vee-zay.”

The word “deviser” comes from the Old French “devis” meaning “talk” or “conversation.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations, are:

  1. Chaque soir, nous devisions autour de la table. (Every evening, we used to chat around the table.)
  2. Pendant notre enfance, mes amis et moi devisions sur nos rêves. (During our childhood, my friends and I would converse about our dreams.)
  3. Quand j’étais jeune, je devisais souvent avec mon voisin. (When I was young, I would often chat with my neighbor.)

Note: In the above examples, the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repetitive actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of deviser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je devisais Je devisais avec mes amis. I was chatting with my friends.
tu devisais Tu devisais souvent. You were chatting often.
il devisait Il devisait avec enthousiasme. He was chatting enthusiastically.
elle devisait Elle devisait pendant des heures. She was chatting for hours.
on devisait On devisait tranquillement. We were chatting quietly.
nous devisions Nous devisions tous les jours. We were chatting every day.
vous devisiez Vous devisiez avec intérêt. You were chatting with interest.
ils devisaient Ils devisaient joyeusement. They were chatting happily.
elles devisaient Elles devisaient animées. They were chatting energetically.

Other Conjugations for Deviser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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