Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb actionner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb actionner

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The English translation of the French verb actionner is “to activate” or “to operate.” The infinitive form “actionner” is pronounced as [ak-syoh-ney].

The word “actionner” comes from the French word “action,” which means “action” or “movement.” It is often used in everyday French to describe the act of triggering or setting in motion a mechanism or process. It can be used in various contexts, such as starting a machine, turning on a device, or initiating a system.

Here are three examples of how “actionner” is used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Pendant la réunion, il actionnait souvent son stylo.
    (During the meeting, he would often click his pen.)

  2. Chaque matin, elle actionnait la machine à café pour préparer son café.
    (Every morning, she would operate the coffee machine to make her coffee.)

  3. Nous actionnions les interrupteurs pour allumer les lumières de la salle.
    (We would switch on the lights in the room by operating the switches.)

Please note that the translations provided here are not literal word-for-word translations but rather convey the general meaning of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of actionner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je actionnais J’actionnais le bouton. I was activating the button.
tu actionnais Tu actionnais le levier. You were operating the lever.
il actionnait Il actionnait la machine. He was operating the machine.
elle actionnait Elle actionnait le commutateur. She was switching on the switch.
on actionnait On actionnait l’appareil. We were operating the device.
nous actionnions Nous actionnions la télécommande. We were using the remote control.
vous actionniez Vous actionniez le mécanisme. You were activating the mechanism.
ils actionnaient Ils actionnaient le système. They were activating the system.
elles actionnaient Elles actionnaient les interrupteurs. They were operating the switches.

Other Conjugations for Actionner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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