Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dissuader

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dissuader

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The English translation of the French verb “dissuader” is “to dissuade.” The infinitive form of dissuader is pronounced as “dee-swey-dey.”

The word “dissuader” comes from the Latin word “dissuadere,” which means “to advise against.” It is used in everyday French to express the act of persuading someone not to do something or to discourage them from a particular course of action.

In the imparfait tense, dissuader is most commonly used to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past. Here are three examples of dissuader in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Mes parents me dissuadaient de sortir tard le soir. (My parents used to dissuade me from going out late at night.)
  2. Elle nous dissuadait de prendre ce risque. (She used to dissuade us from taking that risk.)
  3. Vous me dissuadiez de poursuivre cette relation. (You used to dissuade me from continuing that relationship.)

In these examples, the verb “dissuader” in the imparfait tense conveys the idea of a repeated or ongoing action of dissuading someone in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dissuader

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dissuadais Je dissuadais mon ami. I was dissuading my friend.
tu dissuadais Tu dissuadais les autres. You were dissuading the others.
il dissuadait Il dissuadait son frère. He was dissuading his brother.
elle dissuadait Elle dissuadait sa sœur. She was dissuading her sister.
on dissuadait On dissuadait les étudiants. We were dissuading the students.
nous dissuadions Nous dissuadions nos voisins. We were dissuading our neighbors.
vous dissuadiez Vous dissuadiez les clients. You were dissuading the clients.
ils dissuadaient Ils dissuadaient les manifestants. They were dissuading the protesters.
elles dissuadaient Elles dissuadaient les voleurs. They were dissuading the thieves.

Other Conjugations for Dissuader.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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