Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Introduction to the verb clouer
The English translation of the French verb “clouer” is “to nail.” The infinitive form “clouer” is pronounced as “kloo-ay.”
The word “clouer” is derived from the Old French word “clou,” meaning “nail.” It ultimately comes from the Latin word “clavus,” which has the same meaning. In everyday French, “clouer” is most often used in the imparfait tense, which expresses ongoing or repeated actions in the past.
Here are three simple examples of “clouer” in the imparfait tense:
- Je clouais des planches. (I was nailing planks.)
- Tu clouais les affiches. (You were nailing the posters.)
- Il/Elle clouait la charpente. (He/She was nailing the framework.)
These are the respective English translations of the examples.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of clouer
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | clouais | Je clouais les planches. | I was nailing the boards. |
tu | clouais | Tu clouais les affiches. | You were nailing the posters. |
il | clouait | Il clouait le tableau. | He was nailing the painting. |
elle | clouait | Elle clouait les fleurs. | She was nailing the flowers. |
on | clouait | On clouait les étagères. | We were nailing the shelves. |
nous | clouions | Nous clouions le toit. | We were nailing the roof. |
vous | clouiez | Vous clouiez les planches. | You were nailing the boards. |
ils | clouaient | Ils clouaient les clôtures. | They were nailing the fences. |
elles | clouaient | Elles clouaient les boîtes. | They were nailing the boxes. |
Other Conjugations for Clouer.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouer
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Clouer – 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 clouer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!