Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accumuler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accumuler

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The English translation of the French verb “accumuler” is “to accumulate.” The infinitive form, “accumuler,” is pronounced as ah-koo-myoo-leh.

“Accumuler” comes from the Latin word “accumulare,” which means “to heap up.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express ongoing or habitual actions in the past. The imparfait tense is used to describe past actions or states that were not necessarily completed.

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

  1. Je accumulais les dettes chaque mois. (I used to accumulate debts every month.)
  2. Elle accumulait de la poussière dans sa chambre. (She was accumulating dust in her room.)
  3. Nous accumulions des points de fidélité à chaque achat. (We were accumulating loyalty points with every purchase.)

These examples highlight the ongoing nature of accumulation in the past and how “accumuler” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe habitual or continuous actions.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of accumuler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je accumulais J’accumulais des dettes. I was accumulating debts.
tu accumulais Tu accumulais des connaissances. You were accumulating knowledge.
il accumulait Il accumulait des richesses. He was accumulating wealth.
elle accumulait Elle accumulait du stress. She was accumulating stress.
on accumulait On accumulait les erreurs. We were accumulating mistakes.
nous accumulions Nous accumulions de l’expérience. We were accumulating experience.
vous accumuliez Vous accumuliez des biens. You were accumulating goods.
ils accumulaient Ils accumulaient les trophées. They were accumulating trophies.
elles accumulaient Elles accumulaient des souvenirs. They were accumulating memories.

Other Conjugations for Accumuler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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