Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accoupler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accoupler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of accoupler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “accoupler” is “to couple” or “to mate.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “accoupler” is /a.ku.ple/.

The word “accoupler” has Latin origins, derived from the Latin word “copulare” meaning “to join together.” In everyday French, “accoupler” is commonly used to refer to the action of bringing two animals together for mating or pairing objects together.

Examples of the usage of “accoupler” in the imparfait tense (past continuous) with their English translations are:

  1. Pendant l’été, le fermier accouplait régulièrement ses vaches. (During the summer, the farmer used to regularly mate his cows.)
  2. Les chercheurs accouplaient les cobayes pour étudier leur reproduction. (The researchers were coupling the guinea pigs to study their reproduction.)
  3. Quand j’étais enfant, je regardais mes poissons accoupler dans l’aquarium. (When I was a child, I used to watch my fish mating in the aquarium.)

Please note that these translations are in the past continuous tense and may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of accoupler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je accouplais J’accouplais les animaux. I was mating the animals.
tu accouplais Tu accouplais les chiens. You were mating the dogs.
il accouplait Il accouplait les chevaux. He was mating the horses.
elle accouplait Elle accouplait les chats. She was mating the cats.
on accouplait On accouplait les oiseaux. We were mating the birds.
nous accouplions Nous accouplions les poissons. We were mating the fish.
vous accoupliez Vous accoupliez les lapins. You were mating the rabbits.
ils accouplaient Ils accouplaient les lions. They were mating the lions.
elles accouplaient Elles accouplaient les tigres. They were mating the tigers.

Other Conjugations for Accoupler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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