Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abraser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abraser

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The English translation of the French verb “abraser” is “to abrade” or “to wear down.” The infinitive form, “abraser,” is pronounced as “ah-braz-eh.”

The word “abraser” comes from the Latin word “abradere,” which means “to scrape off.” In everyday French, “abraser” is most often used in the imparfait tense when describing ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Je l’abradais avec du papier de verre tous les jours. (I used to abrade it with sandpaper every day.)
  2. Les vagues abrasaient lentement la côte. (The waves were slowly wearing down the coast.)
  3. Il abrasait les planches pour les rendre plus lisses. (He was abrading the planks to make them smoother.)

Please note that these translations may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of abraser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je abraisais J’abraisais le métal. I was abrading the metal.
tu abraisais Tu abraisais le bois. You were abrading the wood.
il abraisait Il abraisait la surface. He was abrading the surface.
elle abraisait Elle abraisait le verre. She was abrading the glass.
on abraisait On abraisait les pierres. We were abrading the stones.
nous abrasions Nous abrasions les métaux. We were abrading the metals.
vous abraisiez Vous abraisiez le plastique. You were abrading the plastic.
ils abraisaient Ils abraisaient les surfaces. They were abrading the surfaces.
elles abraisaient Elles abraisaient les objets. They were abrading the objects.

Other Conjugations for Abraser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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