Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Introduction to the verb chamailler
The English translation of the French verb “chamailler” is “to bicker” or “to squabble.” The infinitive form “chamailler” is pronounced as “sha-ma-yay.”
The word “chamailler” originated from the Old French word “chamaillier,” which comes from the Late Latin term “camaliare” meaning “to wrangle.” It is commonly used in everyday French to describe arguments, disputes, or playful fights between two or more people, especially siblings or close friends.
Here are three examples of “chamailler” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
-
Mes frères se chamaillaient tout le temps quand nous étions jeunes.
(My brothers used to bicker all the time when we were young.) -
Les enfants se chamaillaient pour savoir qui allait jouer avec le jouet.
(The children were bickering over who would play with the toy.) -
Pendant le voyage en voiture, mes amis se chamaillaient pour choisir la musique.
(During the car trip, my friends used to squabble over choosing the music.)
Note: The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, providing background information or setting the scene.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of chamailler
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | chamaillais | Je chamaillais avec mon frère. | I used to argue with my brother. |
tu | chamaillais | Tu chamaillais souvent avec tes amis. | You used to argue often with your friends. |
il | chamaillait | Il chamaillait avec sa sœur. | He used to argue with his sister. |
elle | chamaillait | Elle chamaillait avec son voisin. | She used to argue with her neighbor. |
on | chamaillait | On chamaillait tout le temps. | We used to argue all the time. |
nous | chamaillions | Nous chamaillions pendant notre enfance. | We used to argue during our childhood. |
vous | chamailliez | Vous chamailliez pour des broutilles. | You used to argue over trivial things. |
ils | chamaillaient | Ils chamaillaient sans cesse. | They used to argue constantly. |
elles | chamaillaient | Elles chamaillaient dans la cour de récréation. | They used to argue in the playground. |
Other Conjugations for Chamailler.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamailler
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Chamailler – 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 chamailler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!