Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Introduction to the verb cesser
The English translation of the French verb “cesser” is “to cease” or “to stop.” The infinitive form of “cesser” is pronounced as /se.se/.
The verb “cesser” comes from the Latin word “cessare,” which means “to stop” or “to delay.” In everyday French, “cesser” is often used in the imparfait tense to express an ongoing or repeated action in the past.
Here are three examples of “cesser” used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Les manifestations ne cessaient pas. (The protests didn’t stop.)
- Il ne cessait de pleuvoir pendant les vacances. (It kept raining during the holidays.)
- Nous ne cessions d’étudier pour les examens. (We kept studying for the exams.)
In these examples, the imparfait tense emphasizes the continuous or repeated nature of the actions.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cesser
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | cessais | Je cessais de fumer. | I was quitting smoking. |
tu | cessais | Tu cessais de parler. | You were stopping talking. |
il | cessait | Il cessait de travailler. | He was stopping working. |
elle | cessait | Elle cessait de pleurer. | She was stopping crying. |
on | cessait | On cessait de manger. | We were stopping eating. |
nous | cessions | Nous cessions d’étudier. | We were stopping studying. |
vous | cessiez | Vous cessiez de penser. | You were stopping thinking. |
ils | cessaient | Ils cessaient de jouer. | They were stopping playing. |
elles | cessaient | Elles cessaient de courir. | They were stopping running. |
Other Conjugations for Cesser.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cesser
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Cesser – 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 cesser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!