dire imparfait conjugation
Dire (to say/tell) in the imparfait: disais, disais, disait, disions, disiez, disaient.
Imparfait Imperfect
| je | regular: diais |
|---|---|
| tu | regular: diais |
| il/elle/on | regular: diait |
| nous | regular: diions |
| vous | regular: diiez |
| ils/elles | regular: diaient |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the imparfait
The imparfait describes the past as background: habits (“used to”), ongoing actions (“was doing”), descriptions and states. Être is the only verb with an irregular imparfait stem (ét-).
How it is formed
Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons and add ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient: nous finissons → je finissais.
Dire is irregular here. 6 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give diais, diais, diait, diions, diiez, diaient.
Dire in a sentence
- Elle dit toujours la vérité.She always tells the truth.
- Nous avons dit bonjour à tout le monde.We said hello to everyone.
Irregular; 'vous dites' is an exception to the usual -ez pattern.
FAQ
What is the imparfait of dire?
Dire in the French imparfait: je disais, tu disais, il/elle/on disait, nous disions, vous disiez, ils/elles disaient.
Is dire irregular in the imparfait?
Yes. 6 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: je disais (regular would be diais); tu disais (regular would be diais); il/elle/on disait (regular would be diait); nous disions (regular would be diions); vous disiez (regular would be diiez); ils/elles disaient (regular would be diaient).
When do you use the French imparfait?
The imparfait describes the past as background: habits (“used to”), ongoing actions (“was doing”), descriptions and states. Être is the only verb with an irregular imparfait stem (ét-).
How is the imparfait formed?
Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons and add ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient: nous finissons → je finissais.
Full dire conjugation, all tenses →
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