Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accréter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accréter

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The English translation of the French verb “accréter” is “to accrete” or “to grow by accumulation.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “accréter” is ah-kreh-tey.

The verb “accréter” comes from the Latin word “accretus,” which means “to grow together.” In everyday French, it is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe a continuous or ongoing action in the past. The imparfait tense is often used to set the background or describe habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Je travaillais dur tous les jours et mon expérience accrétais. (I was working hard every day, and my experience was growing.)
  2. La rivière s’accrétais lentement à mesure que les sédiments s’y déposaient. (The river was accreting slowly as sediments were depositing in it.)
  3. Les glaciers s’accrétaient au fil des siècles, formant de magnifiques paysages. (The glaciers were accreting over centuries, forming magnificent landscapes.)

Note: The above translations are not word-for-word, but rather convey the meaning in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of accréter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je accrétais J’accrétais des connaissances. I was accruing knowledge.
tu accrétais Tu accrétais ton patrimoine. You were accruing your wealth.
il accrétais Il accrétais de la valeur. He was accruing value.
elle accrétais Elle accrétais son expérience. She was accruing experience.
on accrétais On accrétais des compétences. We were accruing skills.
nous accrétions Nous accrétions nos forces. We were accruing our strengths.
vous accrétiiez Vous accrétiiez votre pouvoir. You were accruing your power.
ils accrétaient Ils accrétaient des ressources. They were accruing resources.
elles accrétaient Elles accrétaient leur influence. They were accruing their influence.

Other Conjugations for Accréter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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