Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dévitrifier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dévitrifier

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The English translation of the French verb dévitrifier is “to defrost” or “to de-ice.” The infinitive form of dévitrifier is pronounced as “day-vee-tree-fee-ay.”

Dévitrifier is derived from the combination of the prefix “dé-” (meaning “un-” or “de-“) and the verb “vitrifier” (meaning “to vitrify” or “to turn into glass”). It is a relatively specialized verb used specifically to describe the action of removing ice or frost from a surface.

In everyday French, dévitrifier is mostly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples:

  1. Chaque hiver, je dévitrifiais les pare-brise des voitures.
    (Every winter, I used to defrost car windshields.)

  2. Pendant l’épisode de grand froid, nous dévitrifiions nos fenêtres chaque matin.
    (During the cold spell, we would de-ice our windows every morning.)

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, mon père dévitrifiait le congélateur tous les mois.
    (When I was a child, my father used to defrost the freezer every month.)

English translations:

  1. Every winter, I used to defrost car windshields.
  2. During the cold spell, we would de-ice our windows every morning.
  3. When I was a child, my father used to defrost the freezer every month.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dévitrifier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dévitrifiais Je dévitrifiais les fenêtres. I was defrosting the windows.
tu dévitrifiais Tu dévitrifiais le frigo. You were defrosting the fridge.
il dévitrifiait Il dévitrifiait les pare-brises. He was defrosting the windshields.
elle dévitrifiait Elle dévitrifiait les vitrines. She was defrosting the display cases.
on dévitrifiait On dévitrifiait les congélateurs. We were defrosting the freezers.
nous dévitrifiions Nous dévitrifiions les réfrigérateurs. We were defrosting the refrigerators.
vous dévitrifiiez Vous dévitrifiiez les vitres. You were defrosting the windows.
ils dévitrifiaient Ils dévitrifiaient les portes. They were defrosting the doors.
elles dévitrifiaient Elles dévitrifiaient les surfaces. They were defrosting the surfaces.

Other Conjugations for Dévitrifier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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