Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aérer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aérer

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The English translation of the French verb aérer is “to air” or “to ventilate.” The infinitive form “aérer” is pronounced as [eh-reh].

The word “aérer” in French comes from the Latin word “aerius,” meaning “airy” or “aerial.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of allowing fresh air to circulate in a closed space, such as a room or a place. It can also refer to the act of ventilating or refreshing something.

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

  1. Chaque matin, j’aérais ma chambre pour enlever l’odeur de moisi. (Every morning, I used to air my room to get rid of the musty smell.)
  2. Pendant la pause déjeuner, nous aérions nos bureaux pour se rafraîchir. (During lunch break, we used to air our offices to refresh ourselves.)
  3. Quand j’étais enfant, ma mère aérait toujours les draps avant de les mettre sur le lit. (When I was a child, my mother would always air the sheets before putting them on the bed.)

These examples showcase different contexts where “aérer” is used in the past, imperfect tense to describe habitual or ongoing actions that were taking place.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of aérer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je aérais J’aérais la pièce. I was airing the room.
tu aérais Tu aérais le salon. You were airing the living room.
il aérait Il aérait la chambre. He was airing the bedroom.
elle aérait Elle aérait la cuisine. She was airing the kitchen.
on aérait On aérait les pièces. We were airing the rooms.
nous aérions Nous aérions la maison. We were airing the house.
vous aériez Vous aériez la salle de bains. You were airing the bathroom.
ils aéraient Ils aéraient le jardin. They were airing the garden.
elles aéraient Elles aéraient le balcon. They were airing the balcony.

Other Conjugations for Aérer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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