Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abaisser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of abaisser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “abaisser” is “to lower” or “to bring down.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “abaisser” is as follows: ah-beh-say.

The verb “abaisser” originated from the Old French word “abaissier,” which comes from the Vulgar Latin word “bassāre,” meaning “to make lower.” It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of physically lowering something or reducing its level, as well as metaphorically referring to lowering one’s voice or one’s status.

Examples of “abaisser” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je l’abais­sais chaque matin. (I used to lower it every morning.)
  2. Pendant l’orage, nous abais­sions les volets. (During the storm, we used to bring down the shutters.)
  3. Elle m’abais­sait avec ses remarques désobligeantes. (She used to lower me with her unpleasant remarks.)

English translations:

  1. I used to lower it every morning.
  2. During the storm, we used to bring down the shutters.
  3. She used to lower me with her unpleasant remarks.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of abaisser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je abaissais J’abaissais la fenêtre. I was lowering the window.
tu abaissais Tu abaissais le volume. You were lowering the volume.
il abaissait Il abaissait la température. He was lowering the temperature.
elle abaissait Elle abaissait la musique. She was lowering the music.
on abaissait On abaissait les lumières. We were lowering the lights.
nous abaissions Nous abaissions les rideaux. We were lowering the curtains.
vous abaissiez Vous abaissiez la voix. You were lowering your voice.
ils abaissaient Ils abaissaient le drapeau. They were lowering the flag.
elles abaissaient Elles abaissaient le bras. They were lowering their arm.

Other Conjugations for Abaisser.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser (You’re reading it right now!)

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abaisser

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Abaisser – About the French Imparfait Tense

The French imparfait tense, often called the imperfect tense in English, is used to describe actions or states in the past. It’s primarily used to provide background information, set the scene, or describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

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

To form the imparfait tense in French, you typically take the present tense nous form of the verb, drop the -ons ending, and add specific endings based on the verb group (regular -er, -ir, -re verbs) or use irregular forms for certain verbs.  

For regular -er verbs:

Take the infinitive form (e.g., parler, finir, rendre) Remove the -er ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient 

For regular -ir verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., choisir, grandir, finir) Remove the -ir ending Add the imparfait endings: -issais, -issais, -issait, -issions, -issiez, -issaient 

For regular -re verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., vendre, attendre, entendre) Remove the -re ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Description of Past Habits

The imparfait is often used to describe habitual actions or situations in the past. For example: “Quand j’étais enfant, je jouais au football tous les jours.” (When I was a child, I used to play football every day.) 

Background Information

It’s used to provide background information or set the stage for a main event in the past. For instance: “Il faisait beau ce jour-là.” (The weather was nice that day.) 

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

The imparfait describes actions that were in progress or happening when something else occurred in the past. For instance: “Je lisais un livre quand le téléphone a sonné.” (I was reading a book when the phone rang.)

Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense

Passé Composé vs. Imparfait

The imparfait and passé composé (a compound past tense) are often used together to express the completion of an action in the past (passé composé) and provide context or background (imparfait). For example: “Il regardait la télévision quand son ami est arrivé.” (He was watching TV when his friend arrived.) 

Conditional

The imparfait is used as the base for forming the conditional mood in French. For instance, “Je mangerais” (I would eat) is formed from “je mangeais” (I was eating). 

Si Clauses

In hypothetical or “if” clauses (si clauses), the imparfait is often used to express a condition in the past. For example: “Si j’avais de l’argent, j’achèterais une nouvelle voiture.” (If I had money, I would buy a new car.) 

Narration

In storytelling or writing, the imparfait is frequently used to set the scene and describe ongoing actions while the passé composé is used for specific events or actions that interrupted the ongoing ones.
Understanding the French imperfect tense is crucial for effective communication in French. Without it, your conversations will always live in the present!

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb abaisser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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