Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Introduction to the verb affaler
The English translation of the French verb “affaler” is “to lower” or “to let down.” The infinitive form of “affaler” is pronounced as ah-fa-lay.
Affaler comes from the Old French word “afaler” which means “to let down.” It originated from the Latin word “afflāre,” which means “to breathe upon” or “to blow.” In everyday French, “affaler” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or continuous action in the past.
Here are three simple examples of “affaler” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Je m’affalais sur le canapé chaque soir. (I used to collapse onto the couch every evening.)
- Les drapeaux s’affalaient lentement au vent. (The flags were lowering slowly in the wind.)
- Nous affalions les voiles pour faire une pause. (We were lowering the sails to take a break.)
Overall, “affaler” is used to indicate the continuous or repeated action of lowering or letting down something in the past.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of affaler
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | affalais | J’affalais mes bras sur la table. | I was slumping my arms on the table. |
tu | affalais | Tu affalais ta tête sur l’oreiller. | You were resting your head on the pillow. |
il | affalait | Il affalait son corps sur le canapé. | He was slouching his body on the couch. |
elle | affalait | Elle affalait ses jambes sur le lit. | She was stretching her legs on the bed. |
on | affalait | On affalait nos sacs par terre. | We were dropping our bags on the floor. |
nous | affalions | Nous affalions nos épaules fatiguées. | We were sagging our tired shoulders. |
vous | affaliez | Vous affaliez vos bras sur le bureau. | You were resting your arms on the desk. |
ils | affalaient | Ils affalaient leurs têtes sur leurs mains. | They were slumping their heads on their hands. |
elles | affalaient | Elles affalaient leurs corps dans les chaises. | They were slouching their bodies in the chairs. |
Other Conjugations for Affaler.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler
Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥
Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the affaler present tense conjugation!
Affaler – 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 affaler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!