Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aduler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aduler

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The English translation of the French verb “aduler” is “to flatter” or “to fawn over.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “aduler” is [a.dy.le].

The verb “aduler” comes from the Latin word “adulāre,” which means “to fawn upon” or “to flatter.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the act of excessively flattering or praising someone, often with insincere intentions.

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

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je l’adulais continuellement. (When I was young, I used to flatter him continuously.)
  2. Elle adulait toujours son patron pour obtenir une promotion. (She would always flatter her boss to get a promotion.)
  3. Nous adulions nos professeurs pour obtenir de meilleures notes. (We used to fawn over our teachers to get better grades.)

Note: The imparfait tense in French is often used to describe past habits, repeated actions, or ongoing states in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of aduler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je adulais J’adulais mon idole. I was adoring my idol.
tu adulais Tu adulais ta star préférée. You were adoring your favorite star.
il adulait Il adulait sa femme. He was adoring his wife.
elle adulait Elle adulait son professeur. She was adoring her teacher.
on adulait On adulait les célébrités. We were adoring celebrities.
nous adulions Nous adulions nos parents. We were adoring our parents.
vous aduliez Vous aduliez vos amis. You were adoring your friends.
ils adulaient Ils adulaient leur patron. They were adoring their boss.
elles adulaient Elles adulaient leur chanteur préféré. They were adoring their favorite singer.

Other Conjugations for Aduler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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