Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dévisser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dévisser

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The English translation of the French verb dévisser is “to unscrew.” The infinitive form, dévisser, is pronounced as “day-vee-say.”

Dévisser comes from the Latin word “divulsare,” meaning “to tear off.” In everyday French, dévisser is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

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

  1. Je dévissais le bouchon de la bouteille. (I was unscrewing the bottle cap.)
  2. Tu dévissais les vis pour démonter le meuble. (You were unscrewing the screws to disassemble the furniture.)
  3. Il dévissait lentement la lampe du plafond. (He was slowly unscrewing the lamp from the ceiling.)

These examples highlight the continuous or repeated nature of the action in the past, emphasizing the process of unscrewing rather than a completed action.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dévisser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dévissais Je dévissais le bouchon. I was unscrewing the cap.
tu dévissais Tu dévissais la vis. You were unscrewing the screw.
il dévissait Il dévissait le couvercle. He was unscrewing the lid.
elle dévissait Elle dévissait le robinet. She was unscrewing the faucet.
on dévissait On dévissait les écrous. We were unscrewing the nuts.
nous dévissions Nous dévissions les plaques. We were unscrewing the plates.
vous dévissiez Vous dévissiez la lampe. You were unscrewing the lamp.
ils dévissaient Ils dévissaient les vis. They were unscrewing the screws.
elles dévissaient Elles dévissaient les bouteilles. They were unscrewing the bottles.

Other Conjugations for Dévisser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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