Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adjurer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb adjurer

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The English translation of the French verb “adjurer” is “to adjure” or “to beseech.” The infinitive form “adjurer” is pronounced as [ah-zhoo-ray].

The verb “adjurer” comes from the Latin word “adjurare,” which means to appeal to solemnly, bind by oath, or conjure. In everyday French, it is most often used in the imparfait tense to express a repeated or ongoing action in the past or to set the background for another action.

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

  1. Je l’adjurais de me dire la vérité. (I used to adjure/beseech him to tell me the truth.)
  2. Les villageois l’adjuraient de ne pas partir. (The villagers used to adjure/beseech him not to leave.)
  3. Elle l’adjurait de lui pardonner. (She used to adjure/beseech him to forgive her.)

Note: The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing actions, habits, or states of being in the past. In these examples, “adjurer” is used to convey the repeated or ongoing nature of the beseeching or adjuring action.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of adjurer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je adjurais J’adjurais mon ami de partir. I adjured my friend to leave.
tu adjurais Tu adjurais le voleur de s’arrêter. You adjured the thief to stop.
il adjurait Il adjurait les mauvais esprits. He adjured the evil spirits.
elle adjurait Elle adjurait le mensonge. She adjured the lie.
on adjurait On adjurait l’injustice. We adjured injustice.
nous adjurions Nous adjurions les coupables. We adjured the guilty.
vous adjuriez Vous adjuriez les démons. You adjured the demons.
ils adjuraient Ils adjuraient les forces obscures. They adjured the dark forces.
elles adjuraient Elles adjuraient le silence. They adjured the silence.

Other Conjugations for Adjurer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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