Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Introduction to the verb côtoyer
The English translation of the French verb côtoyer is “to rub shoulders with” or “to be in close proximity to.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “koh-twah-yay.”
The verb côtoyer originates from the Old French word “costoier,” which meant “to walk alongside.” It comes from the Latin word “costa,” meaning “rib.” In everyday French, côtoyer is commonly used in the imparfait tense to indicate an ongoing or repeated action in the past.
Here are three examples of côtoyer in the imparfait tense:
- Nous côtoyions la mer tous les étés.
(We used to be by the sea every summer.) - Tu côtoyais les célébrités dans ton ancien travail.
(You used to rub shoulders with celebrities in your former job.) - Ils côtoyaient des personnes de différentes cultures.
(They used to be in close proximity to people from different cultures.)
English translations:
- We used to be by the sea every summer.
- You used to rub shoulders with celebrities in your former job.
- They used to be in close proximity to people from different cultures.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of côtoyer
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | côtoyais | Je côtoyais mes voisins. | I used to interact with my neighbors. |
tu | côtoyais | Tu côtoyais des célébrités. | You used to rub shoulders with celebrities. |
il | côtoyait | Il côtoyait des personnes influentes. | He used to associate with influential people. |
elle | côtoyait | Elle côtoyait des artistes. | She used to mingle with artists. |
on | côtoyait | On côtoyait des gens intéressants. | We used to interact with interesting people. |
nous | côtoyions | Nous côtoyions nos collègues. | We used to be in contact with our colleagues. |
vous | côtoyiez | Vous côtoyiez des étudiants internationaux. | You used to mix with international students. |
ils | côtoyaient | Ils côtoyaient des hommes d’affaires. | They used to associate with businessmen. |
elles | côtoyaient | Elles côtoyaient des femmes politiques. | They used to mingle with female politicians. |
Other Conjugations for Côtoyer.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer
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Côtoyer – 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 côtoyer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!