Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abouler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abouler

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The English translation of the French verb “abouler” is “to pay up” or “to fork out.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “a-boo-lay.”

The word “abouler” comes from the Old French word “abouler” meaning “to pay.” It is derived from the Latin word “abolere” which means “to abolish.” In everyday French, “abouler” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Examples of “abouler” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque mois, je lui aboulais de l’argent pour l’aider à payer ses dettes.
    (Every month, I used to pay him money to help him pay off his debts.)

  2. Pendant des années, nous aboulions nos impôts sans se plaindre.
    (For years, we used to pay our taxes without complaining.)

  3. Elle aboulait toujours la moitié de l’addition quand nous sortions dîner.
    (She would always fork out half of the bill when we went out for dinner.)

English translations:

  1. Every month, I used to pay him money to help him pay off his debts.
  2. For years, we used to pay our taxes without complaining.
  3. She would always fork out half of the bill when we went out for dinner.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of abouler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je aboulais J’aboulais de l’argent. I was handing over money.
tu aboulais Tu aboulais ton passeport. You were handing over your passport.
il aboulait Il aboulait les documents. He was handing over the documents.
elle aboulait Elle aboulait sa carte d’identité. She was handing over her ID card.
on aboulait On aboulait les clés. We were handing over the keys.
nous aboulions Nous aboulions nos dossiers. We were handing over our files.
vous abouliez Vous abouliez vos bagages. You were handing over your luggage.
ils aboulaient Ils aboulaient leurs billets. They were handing over their tickets.
elles aboulaient Elles aboulaient leurs réservations. They were handing over their reservations.

Other Conjugations for Abouler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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