Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb absenter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb absenter

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The English translation of the French verb “absenter” is “to be absent” or “to take one’s leave.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “absenter” is: ahb-sawn-tey.

The verb “absenter” in French originates from the Latin word “absentare,” which means “to be absent.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Examples of “absenter” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je m’absentais souvent des cours.
    (When I was young, I would often be absent from classes.)

  2. Nous nous absentions régulièrement des réunions ennuyeuses.
    (We used to regularly take our leave from boring meetings.)

  3. Tu t’absentais fréquemment sans prévenir personne.
    (You would frequently be absent without warning anyone.)

In these examples, “absenter” is used to express a habitual or repeated action of being absent in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of absenter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’absentais Je m’absentais souvent. I used to be absent often.
tu t’absentais Tu t’absentais beaucoup. You used to be absent a lot.
il s’absentait Il s’absentait sans prévenir. He used to be absent without warning.
elle s’absentait Elle s’absentait pour des raisons personnelles. She used to be absent for personal reasons.
on s’absentait On s’absentait fréquemment. We used to be absent frequently.
nous nous absentions Nous nous absentions simultanément. We used to be absent at the same time.
vous vous absentiez Vous vous absentiez régulièrement. You used to be absent regularly.
ils s’absentaient Ils s’absentaient sans explication. They used to be absent without explanation.
elles s’absentaient Elles s’absentaient pour des rendez-vous. They used to be absent for appointments.

Other Conjugations for Absenter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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