Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Introduction to the verb adopter
The English translation of the French verb “adopter” is “to adopt.” The infinitive form of “adopter” is pronounced as [a-dop-te].
“Adopter” comes from the Latin word “adoptare,” which means “to choose as one’s own child.” In everyday French, “adopter” is most commonly used to refer to the act of legally taking someone else’s child into one’s family as their own. However, it can also be used in a broader sense to mean “to embrace,” “to take on,” or “to take up.”
Here are three examples of “adopter” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
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Quand j’étais jeune, mes parents adoptaient des animaux abandonnés.
(When I was young, my parents used to adopt abandoned animals.) -
Tous les étudiants adoptaient une langue étrangère pour améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques.
(All the students were adopting a foreign language to improve their language skills.) -
Nous adoptions une nouvelle approche pour résoudre ce problème.
(We were adopting a new approach to solve this problem.)
Note: The imparfait tense in French is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as to set the background or atmosphere in a narrative context.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of adopter
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | adoptais | J’adoptais un chien. | I was adopting a dog. |
tu | adoptais | Tu adoptais une attitude positive. | You were adopting a positive attitude. |
il | adoptait | Il adoptait de nouvelles méthodes. | He was adopting new methods. |
elle | adoptait | Elle adoptait un nouveau style. | She was adopting a new style. |
on | adoptait | On adoptait cette approche. | We were adopting this approach. |
nous | adoptions | Nous adoptions une politique différente. | We were adopting a different policy. |
vous | adoptiez | Vous adoptiez une position ferme. | You were adopting a firm position. |
ils | adoptaient | Ils adoptaient une nouvelle technologie. | They were adopting a new technology. |
elles | adoptaient | Elles adoptaient de nouvelles habitudes. | They were adopting new habits. |
Other Conjugations for Adopter.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
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Adopter – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb adopter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!