Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affoler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affoler

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The English translation of the French verb “affoler” is “to panic” or “to make someone panic.” The infinitive form “affoler” is pronounced as ah-foh-leh.

The word “affoler” comes from the French noun “folie,” meaning madness or frenzy. It is derived from the Latin word “folia,” which means “leaves.” In everyday French, “affoler” is often used to describe a state of panic or extreme agitation, either experienced by someone or caused to someone.

Here are three examples of how “affoler” can be used in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, les films d’horreur m’affolaient. (When I was young, horror movies used to panic me.)
  2. Les bruits étranges dans la maison l’affolaient chaque nuit. (The strange noises in the house would panic her every night.)
  3. La nouvelle de l’accident affolait les témoins présents sur les lieux. (The news of the accident was causing panic among the witnesses present at the scene.)

English translations:

  1. When I was young, horror movies used to panic me.
  2. The strange noises in the house would panic her every night.
  3. The news of the accident was causing panic among the witnesses present at the scene.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of affoler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je affolais J’affolais facilement. I used to panic easily.
tu affolais Tu affolais tout le monde. You were panicking everyone.
il affolait Il affolait sa famille. He was panicking his family.
elle affolait Elle affolait ses amis. She was panicking her friends.
on affolait On affolait les voisins. We were panicking the neighbors.
nous affolions Nous affolions les inconnus. We were panicking strangers.
vous affoliez Vous affoliez le professeur. You were panicking the teacher.
ils affolaient Ils affolaient les enfants. They were panicking the children.
elles affolaient Elles affolaient les animaux. They were panicking the animals.

Other Conjugations for Affoler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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