Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dévoiler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dévoiler

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The English translation of the verb dévoiler is “to unveil” or “to reveal.” The infinitive form, dévoiler, is pronounced as “day-vwah-lay.”

Dévoiler comes from the Old French word “desvoillier,” which is derived from the Latin word “disvelare,” meaning “to uncover” or “to unveil.” In everyday French, dévoiler is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of dévoiler in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, elle dévoilait un chapitre de son roman. (Every evening, she would unveil a chapter of her novel.)
  2. Le journaliste dévoilait régulièrement des scandales politiques. (The journalist would regularly reveal political scandals.)
  3. L’artiste dévoilait une nouvelle œuvre chaque mois. (The artist would unveil a new artwork every month.)

In these examples, dévoiler is used to describe actions that occurred repeatedly or continuously in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dévoiler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dévoilais Je dévoilais mes secrets. I was revealing my secrets.
tu dévoilais Tu dévoilais ton plan. You were revealing your plan.
il dévoilait Il dévoilait la vérité. He was revealing the truth.
elle dévoilait Elle dévoilait ses intentions. She was revealing her intentions.
on dévoilait On dévoilait les résultats. We were revealing the results.
nous dévoilions Nous dévoilions nos projets. We were revealing our plans.
vous dévoiliez Vous dévoiliez vos sentiments. You were revealing your feelings.
ils dévoilaient Ils dévoilaient leurs identités. They were revealing their identities.
elles dévoilaient Elles dévoilaient leurs secrets. They were revealing their secrets.

Other Conjugations for Dévoiler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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