Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Introduction to the verb employer
The English translation of the French verb “employer” is “to use” or “to employ.” The infinitive form, “employer,” is pronounced as [ɑ̃.plwa.je].
The word “employer” has Latin origins and comes from the Latin word “implicare,” meaning “to involve” or “to entangle.” In everyday French, the verb “employer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.
Here are three simple examples of “employer” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- J’employais mon temps libre à lire des livres. (I used to spend my free time reading books.)
- Elle employait toujours le même parfum. (She would always use the same perfume.)
- Nous employions cette méthode depuis des années. (We had been using this method for years.)
In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to express past habits, ongoing actions, or descriptions.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of employer
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | employais | J’employais mon frère. | I was employing my brother. |
tu | employais | Tu employais une secrétaire. | You were employing a secretary. |
il | employait | Il employait de nouveaux travailleurs. | He was employing new workers. |
elle | employait | Elle employait des étudiants. | She was employing students. |
on | employait | On employait des techniques modernes. | We were employing modern techniques. |
nous | employions | Nous employions beaucoup de personnes. | We were employing a lot of people. |
vous | employiez | Vous employiez des spécialistes. | You were employing specialists. |
ils | employaient | Ils employaient des robots. | They were employing robots. |
elles | employaient | Elles employaient des apprentis. | They were employing apprentices. |
Other Conjugations for Employer.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb employer
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Employer – 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 employer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!