Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adosser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb adosser

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The English translation of the French verb “adosser” is “to lean against” or “to support.” The infinitive form of adosser is pronounced as “a-doh-seh.”

The word “adosser” comes from the Old French term “ados,” which means “back” or “rear.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, je m’adosse à mon oreiller pour lire un livre.
    (Every evening, I would lean against my pillow to read a book.)

  2. Nous adossions nos vélos au mur du garage.
    (We used to lean our bikes against the garage wall.)

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, je m’asseyais souvent adossé à un arbre.
    (When I was a child, I would often sit leaning against a tree.)

Please note that the translations provided here are not literal translations but rather convey the meaning of the verb in context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of adosser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je adossais J’adossais le tableau au mur. I was leaning the painting against the wall.
tu adossais Tu adossais les chaises à la table. You were leaning the chairs against the table.
il adossait Il adossait le vélo à l’arbre. He was leaning the bike against the tree.
elle adossait Elle adossait le sac contre le mur. She was leaning the bag against the wall.
on adossait On adossait les valises à la porte. We were leaning the suitcases against the door.
nous adossions Nous adossions les planches au mur. We were leaning the boards against the wall.
vous adossiez Vous adossiez les livres à l’étagère. You were leaning the books against the shelf.
ils adossaient Ils adossaient les meubles au mur. They were leaning the furniture against the wall.
elles adossaient Elles adossaient les valises dans le couloir. They were leaning the suitcases in the hallway.

Other Conjugations for Adosser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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