Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb adopter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of adopter. 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 “adopter” is “to adopt.” The infinitive form of “adopter” is pronounced as [a-dop-te].

“Adopter” comes from the Latin word “adoptare,” which means “to choose as one’s own child.” In everyday French, “adopter” is most commonly used to refer to the act of legally taking someone else’s child into one’s family as their own. However, it can also be used in a broader sense to mean “to embrace,” “to take on,” or “to take up.”

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

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, mes parents adoptaient des animaux abandonnés.
    (When I was young, my parents used to adopt abandoned animals.)

  2. Tous les étudiants adoptaient une langue étrangère pour améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques.
    (All the students were adopting a foreign language to improve their language skills.)

  3. Nous adoptions une nouvelle approche pour résoudre ce problème.
    (We were adopting a new approach to solve this problem.)

Note: The imparfait tense in French is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as to set the background or atmosphere in a narrative context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of adopter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je adoptais J’adoptais un chien. I was adopting a dog.
tu adoptais Tu adoptais une attitude positive. You were adopting a positive attitude.
il adoptait Il adoptait de nouvelles méthodes. He was adopting new methods.
elle adoptait Elle adoptait un nouveau style. She was adopting a new style.
on adoptait On adoptait cette approche. We were adopting this approach.
nous adoptions Nous adoptions une politique différente. We were adopting a different policy.
vous adoptiez Vous adoptiez une position ferme. You were adopting a firm position.
ils adoptaient Ils adoptaient une nouvelle technologie. They were adopting a new technology.
elles adoptaient Elles adoptaient de nouvelles habitudes. They were adopting new habits.

Other Conjugations for Adopter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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