Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abouter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abouter

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The English translation of the French verb “abouter” is “to butt” or “to join together.” The infinitive form is pronounced as ah-boo-tey.

The verb “abouter” comes from the Old French word “aboter” which means “to unite, join, or connect.” It is derived from the Latin word “buttare” which means “to thrust” or “to strike.” In everyday French, “abouter” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Nous aboutions les pièces de bois pour construire une étagère.
    (We were joining the pieces of wood to build a shelf.)

  2. Tu aboutais les fils électriques d’une manière sécurisée.
    (You used to butt the electrical wires together in a secure way.)

  3. Ils aboutaient les wagons pour former un long train.
    (They were connecting the wagons to form a long train.)

Please note that the provided translations are approximate, and the context may vary the precise meaning of the verb in certain sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of abouter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je aboutais J’aboutais le projet. I was completing the project.
tu aboutais Tu aboutais les fiches. You were organizing the files.
il aboutait Il aboutait les idées. He was connecting the ideas.
elle aboutait Elle aboutait les pièces. She was fitting the pieces together.
on aboutait On aboutait les planches. We were joining the planks.
nous aboutions Nous aboutions les documents. We were putting together the documents.
vous aboutiez Vous aboutiez les morceaux. You were fitting the pieces.
ils aboutaient Ils aboutaient les parties. They were connecting the parts.
elles aboutaient Elles aboutaient les extrémités. They were joining the ends.

Other Conjugations for Abouter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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