Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accentuer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accentuer

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The English translation of the French verb “accentuer” is “to accentuate” or “to emphasize.” The infinitive form of “accentuer” is pronounced as “ahk-sawn-tyuh-ray.”

“Accentuer” is derived from the Latin word “accentuare,” which means “to accentuate.” In everyday French, this verb is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Examples of “accentuer” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque fois que je parlais en public, j’accentuais mes gestes pour rendre mes propos plus percutants.
    (Every time I spoke in public, I would emphasize my gestures to make my statements more impactful.)

  2. Les professeurs accentuaient souvent l’importance de la ponctualité en classe.
    (The teachers used to frequently accentuate the importance of punctuality in class.)

  3. Pendant cette période, l’entreprise accentuait ses efforts pour améliorer la qualité de ses produits.
    (During that period, the company was accentuating its efforts to improve the quality of its products.)

English translations:

  1. Every time I spoke in public, I emphasized my gestures to make my statements more impactful.

  2. The teachers used to frequently emphasize the importance of punctuality in class.

  3. During that period, the company was accentuating its efforts to improve the quality of its products.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of accentuer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je accentuais J’accentuais mon argument. I was emphasizing my argument.
tu accentuais Tu accentuais les mots importants. You were accentuating the important words.
il accentuait Il accentuait son accent. He was accentuating his accent.
elle accentuait Elle accentuait sa passion. She was accentuating her passion.
on accentuait On accentuait les différences. We were accentuating the differences.
nous accentuions Nous accentuions l’importance de la situation. We were emphasizing the importance of the situation.
vous accentuiez Vous accentuiez vos efforts. You were accentuating your efforts.
ils accentuaient Ils accentuaient leurs gestes. They were accentuating their gestures.
elles accentuaient Elles accentuaient leur présence. They were accentuating their presence.

Other Conjugations for Accentuer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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