Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb diéser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb diéser

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The English translation of the French verb “diéser” is “to sharpen” or “to sharpen up.” The infinitive form of “diéser” is pronounced as dee-e-zay.

The verb “diéser” has its origins in the Latin word “dissecare,” meaning “to cut or divide.” In everyday French, “diéser” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It can also convey a sense of improving or enhancing something.

Here are three simple examples of “diéser” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je diésais mes compétences chaque jour. (I was sharpening my skills every day.)
  2. Nous diésions nos couteaux avant chaque repas. (We used to sharpen our knives before each meal.)
  3. Tu diésais tes arguments pour les rendre plus convaincants. (You would sharpen your arguments to make them more convincing.)

In these examples, “diéser” is used to express the action of sharpening something, be it skills, knives, or arguments, in an ongoing or habitual manner in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of diéser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je diésais Je diésais les notes. I was sharpening the notes.
tu diésais Tu diésais les partitions. You were sharpening the scores.
il diésait Il diésait la tonalité. He was sharpening the key.
elle diésait Elle diésait la mélodie. She was sharpening the melody.
on diésait On diésait les altérations. We were sharpening the alterations.
nous diésions Nous diésions les gammes. We were sharpening the scales.
vous diésiez Vous diésiez les accords. You were sharpening the chords.
ils diésaient Ils diésaient les notes. They were sharpening the notes.
elles diésaient Elles diésaient les partitions. They were sharpening the scores.

Other Conjugations for Diéser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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