Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affaler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affaler

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The English translation of the French verb “affaler” is “to lower” or “to let down.” The infinitive form of “affaler” is pronounced as ah-fa-lay.

Affaler comes from the Old French word “afaler” which means “to let down.” It originated from the Latin word “afflāre,” which means “to breathe upon” or “to blow.” In everyday French, “affaler” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or continuous action in the past.

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

  1. Je m’affalais sur le canapé chaque soir. (I used to collapse onto the couch every evening.)
  2. Les drapeaux s’affalaient lentement au vent. (The flags were lowering slowly in the wind.)
  3. Nous affalions les voiles pour faire une pause. (We were lowering the sails to take a break.)

Overall, “affaler” is used to indicate the continuous or repeated action of lowering or letting down something in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of affaler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je affalais J’affalais mes bras sur la table. I was slumping my arms on the table.
tu affalais Tu affalais ta tête sur l’oreiller. You were resting your head on the pillow.
il affalait Il affalait son corps sur le canapé. He was slouching his body on the couch.
elle affalait Elle affalait ses jambes sur le lit. She was stretching her legs on the bed.
on affalait On affalait nos sacs par terre. We were dropping our bags on the floor.
nous affalions Nous affalions nos épaules fatiguées. We were sagging our tired shoulders.
vous affaliez Vous affaliez vos bras sur le bureau. You were resting your arms on the desk.
ils affalaient Ils affalaient leurs têtes sur leurs mains. They were slumping their heads on their hands.
elles affalaient Elles affalaient leurs corps dans les chaises. They were slouching their bodies in the chairs.

Other Conjugations for Affaler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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