Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abîmer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abîmer

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The English translation of the French verb abîmer is “to damage” or “to ruin.” The infinitive form “abîmer” is pronounced as “ah-bee-may.”

The word “abîmer” originated from the Latin word “abīmāre,” which means “to sink” or “to throw into.” In everyday French, “abîmer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three examples of how “abîmer” is used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Nous abîmions toujours nos vêtements en jouant dans la cour.
    (We would always damage our clothes while playing in the courtyard.)

  2. Tu abîmais tes cheveux en utilisant trop de produits chimiques.
    (You used to damage your hair by using too many chemicals.)

  3. Les enfants abîmaient régulièrement leurs jouets en les jetant contre les murs.
    (The children used to regularly damage their toys by throwing them against the walls.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of abîmer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je abîmais J’abîmais mes vêtements. I was damaging my clothes.
tu abîmais Tu abîmais le livre. You were damaging the book.
il abîmait Il abîmait la voiture. He was damaging the car.
elle abîmait Elle abîmait ses cheveux. She was damaging her hair.
on abîmait On abîmait les meubles. We were damaging the furniture.
nous abîmions Nous abîmions les fleurs. We were damaging the flowers.
vous abîmiez Vous abîmiez la peinture. You were damaging the painting.
ils abîmaient Ils abîmaient les jouets. They were damaging the toys.
elles abîmaient Elles abîmaient le jardin. They were damaging the garden.

Other Conjugations for Abîmer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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