Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aborder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aborder

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The English translation of the French verb “aborder” is “to approach” or “to address.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “aborder” is [a.boʁ.de].

The verb “aborder” comes from the Old French word “abourder,” which evolved from the Latin word “ad + bordum” meaning “to bring a ship alongside.” In everyday French, “aborder” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which indicates an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

Here are three examples of “aborder” used in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque jour, j’abordais mon voisin du cinquième étage. (Every day, I would approach my neighbor from the fifth floor.)
  2. Nous abordions souvent le sujet de la politique lors de nos dîners en famille. (We would often address the subject of politics during our family dinners.)
  3. Quand j’étais jeune, j’abordais timidement les filles qui me plaisaient. (When I was young, I would approach girls I liked shyly.)

Please note that the choice of tense and translation may vary depending on the context of the sentence.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of aborder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je abordais J’abordais facilement les gens. I used to approach people easily.
tu abordais Tu abordais le sujet avec prudence. You used to approach the topic cautiously.
il abordait Il abordait la question de manière directe. He used to approach the question directly.
elle abordait Elle abordait le problème avec intelligence. She used to approach the problem with intelligence.
on abordait On abordait les problèmes un par un. We used to approach the problems one by one.
nous abordions Nous abordions le sujet en profondeur. We used to approach the topic in depth.
vous abordiez Vous abordiez les clients avec politesse. You used to approach the clients politely.
ils abordaient Ils abordaient la situation avec calme. They used to approach the situation calmly.
elles abordaient Elles abordaient les défis avec détermination. They used to approach the challenges with determination.

Other Conjugations for Aborder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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