Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Introduction to the verb compasser
The English translation of the French verb “compasser” is “to compass” or “to circumscribe.” The infinitive form “compasser” is pronounced as kɔ̃.pa.se.
The verb “compasser” comes from the Latin word “compassare,” meaning “to measure.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.
Here are three examples of “compasser” used in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:
- Chaque jour, il compassait un cercle parfait. (Every day, he would compass a perfect circle.)
- Pendant des années, nous compassions les contours de la carte du monde. (For years, we would compass the outlines of the world map.)
- Quand j’étais jeune, je compassais toujours les mots difficiles dans mes livres. (When I was young, I would always circumscribe difficult words in my books.)
Please note that the translations above aim to convey the meaning in English but may not be direct word-for-word translations.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of compasser
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | compassais | Je compassais les mesures. | I was measuring. |
tu | compassais | Tu compassais les angles. | You were measuring angles. |
il | compassait | Il compassait les distances. | He was measuring distances. |
elle | compassait | Elle compassait les hauteurs. | She was measuring heights. |
on | compassait | On compassait les dimensions. | We were measuring dimensions. |
nous | compassions | Nous compassions les objets. | We were measuring objects. |
vous | compassiez | Vous compassiez les surfaces. | You were measuring surfaces. |
ils | compassaient | Ils compassaient les volumes. | They were measuring volumes. |
elles | compassaient | Elles compassaient les poids. | They were measuring weights. |
Other Conjugations for Compasser.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
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Compasser – 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 compasser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!