Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb diffuser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb diffuser

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The English translation of the French verb “diffuser” is “to diffuse” or “to broadcast.” The infinitive form “diffuser” is pronounced as [dee-foo-zay].

The verb “diffuser” comes from the Latin word “diffusus,” which means “to spread.” It is commonly used in everyday French in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or habitual past actions. It often indicates a continuous action or state in the past.

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

  1. Chaque soir, nous diffusions les informations à la télévision.
    (Every evening, we used to broadcast the news on television.)

  2. Il diffusait de la musique douce dans son salon.
    (He used to play soft music in his living room.)

  3. Pendant la fête, ils diffusaient des films français.
    (During the party, they were showing French movies.)

These examples show the continuous action of broadcasting or diffusing in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of diffuser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je diffusais Je diffusais mon émission préférée. I was broadcasting my favorite show.
tu diffusais Tu diffusais de la musique. You were playing music.
il diffusait Il diffusait les nouvelles à la télévision. He was broadcasting the news on TV.
elle diffusait Elle diffusait des films au cinéma. She was showing movies at the cinema.
on diffusait On diffusait une émission de radio. We were broadcasting a radio show.
nous diffusions Nous diffusions une publicité. We were airing an advertisement.
vous diffusiez Vous diffusiez une conférence. You were broadcasting a conference.
ils diffusaient Ils diffusaient un match de football. They were showing a football match.
elles diffusaient Elles diffusaient un documentaire. They were broadcasting a documentary.

Other Conjugations for Diffuser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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