Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abandonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abandonner

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The English translation of the French verb abandonner is “to abandon” or “to give up.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “abandonner” in French is [a.bɑ̃.dɔ.ne].

The word “abandonner” has its origins in the Latin term “abandonare,” which means “to leave behind” or “to desert.” In everyday French, the verb is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It often conveys the idea of giving up or abandoning something repeatedly or for an extended period.

Examples of “abandonner” in the imparfait tense:

  1. J’abandonnais souvent mes devoirs à l’école.
    (I used to give up on my homework often.)
  2. Nous abandonnions nos projets après quelques jours.
    (We would abandon our plans after a few days.)
  3. Ils t’abandonnaient régulièrement lors de ces situations difficiles.
    (They would regularly abandon you during these difficult situations.)

English translations of the examples:

  1. I used to give up on my homework often.
  2. We would abandon our plans after a few days.
  3. They would regularly abandon you during these difficult situations.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of abandonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je abandonnais J’abandonnais mes rêves. I was abandoning my dreams.
tu abandonnais Tu abandonnais facilement. You were giving up easily.
il abandonnait Il abandonnait tout espoir. He was abandoning all hope.
elle abandonnait Elle abandonnait ses projets. She was giving up her plans.
on abandonnait On abandonnait souvent. We were giving up often.
nous abandonnions Nous abandonnions nos efforts. We were abandoning our efforts.
vous abandonniez Vous abandonniez votre combat. You were giving up your fight.
ils abandonnaient Ils abandonnaient leur mission. They were abandoning their mission.
elles abandonnaient Elles abandonnaient leurs responsabilités. They were giving up their responsibilities.

Other Conjugations for Abandonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Abandonner – 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 abandonner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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