Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affluer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affluer

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The English translation of the French verb “affluer” is “to flow” or “to flood.” The infinitive form “affluer” is pronounced as [a.flye].

The word “affluer” comes from the Latin word “affluere,” which means “to flow towards.” In everyday French, “affluer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe a continuous or repeated action in the past. It expresses the idea of a large number of people, objects, or ideas flowing or converging towards a specific location or situation.

Examples of “affluer” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque été, les touristes affluaient dans cette petite ville côtière.
    (Every summer, tourists would flock to this small coastal town.)

  2. Les dons affluaient de toutes parts après l’appel à l’aide.
    (Donations were pouring in from all sides after the call for help.)

  3. Pendant la période des soldes, les clients affluaient dans les magasins.
    (During the sales period, customers were flooding into the stores.)

English translations:

  1. Every summer, tourists would flock to this small coastal town.
  2. Donations were pouring in from all sides after the call for help.
  3. During the sales period, customers were flooding into the stores.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of affluer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je affluais J’affluais vers le centre-ville. I was flowing towards downtown.
tu affluais Tu affluais vers la scène. You were flowing towards the stage.
il affluait Il affluait dans la salle. He was flowing into the room.
elle affluait Elle affluait vers la sortie. She was flowing towards the exit.
on affluait On affluait vers le parc. We were flowing towards the park.
nous affluions Nous affluions dans la rue. We were flowing into the street.
vous affluiez Vous affluiez vers le marché. You were flowing towards the market.
ils affluaient Ils affluaient vers le stade. They were flowing towards the stadium.
elles affluaient Elles affluaient vers la plage. They were flowing towards the beach.

Other Conjugations for Affluer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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