Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaiter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affaiter

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The English translation of the French verb “affaiter” is “to charter.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ah-fay-tey.”

The word “affaiter” originates from the Old French word “afaitier,” which means “to prepare.” It comes from the Latin word “adfacere,” which carries the same meaning. In everyday French, “affaiter” is primarily used in the imparfait tense to describe past ongoing actions or states in a narrative context.

Here are three examples of the usage of “affaiter” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Nous affaitions un bateau pour notre excursion en mer.
    (We were chartering a boat for our sea excursion.)

  2. Tu affaitais un avion pour tes voyages d’affaires.
    (You were chartering a plane for your business trips.)

  3. Ils affaitaient un bus pour leur sortie scolaire.
    (They were chartering a bus for their school outing.)

English translations:

  1. We were chartering a boat for our sea excursion.
  2. You were chartering a plane for your business trips.
  3. They were chartering a bus for their school outing.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of affaiter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je affaitais J’affaitais ma robe. I was fitting my dress.
tu affaitais Tu affaitais le costume. You were fitting the suit.
il affaitait Il affaitait ses chaussures. He was fitting his shoes.
elle affaitait Elle affaitait sa robe de mariée. She was fitting her wedding dress.
on affaitait On affaitait les vêtements. We were fitting the clothes.
nous affaitions Nous affaitions les costumes. We were fitting the costumes.
vous affaitiez Vous affaitiez les robes. You were fitting the dresses.
ils affaitaient Ils affaitaient les costumes. They were fitting the suits.
elles affaitaient Elles affaitaient les robes de soirée. They were fitting the evening gowns.

Other Conjugations for Affaiter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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