Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accouer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accouer

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The English translation of the French verb “accouer” is “to approach” or “to dock”. The infinitive form “accouer” is pronounced as [a.ku.e].

The verb “accouer” comes from the Old French word “acoer,” meaning “to come ashore.” It is primarily used in nautical contexts to describe the action of a boat or ship coming close to the shore or docking. In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

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

  1. Chaque jour, le bateau accostait au port. (Every day, the boat would dock at the port.)
  2. Lorsque nous étions enfants, nous accostions toujours près de cette île. (When we were children, we would always approach near that island.)
  3. Les navires accostaient régulièrement à cette jetée avant la tempête. (The ships would regularly dock at this pier before the storm.)

Note: The English translations provided here are not literal translations but convey the intended meaning in the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of accouer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je accouais J’accouais les chevaux. I was hitching the horses.
tu accouais Tu accouais les vaches. You were tethering the cows.
il accouait Il accouait les animaux. He was tying up the animals.
elle accouait Elle accouait les moutons. She was securing the sheep.
on accouait On accouait les chèvres. We were fastening the goats.
nous accouions Nous accouions les porcs. We were restraining the pigs.
vous accouiez Vous accouiez les oiseaux. You were leashing the birds.
ils accouaient Ils accouaient les chiens. They were tying up the dogs.
elles accouaient Elles accouaient les chats. They were hitching the cats.

Other Conjugations for Accouer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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