Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affourcher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affourcher

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of affourcher. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “affourcher” is “to rig” or “to tackle up”. The infinitive form “affourcher” is pronounced as ah-foo-shey.

The verb “affourcher” derives from the French word “fourche,” meaning “fork,” and the prefix “a-,” indicating the action of “placing on” or “fitting with.” In everyday French, “affourcher” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of “affourcher” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque matin, je les affourchais avant de partir à la pêche.
    (Every morning, I would rig them up before going fishing.)

  2. Nous affourchions nos vélos pour parcourir la ville tous les weekends.
    (We used to rig up our bikes to explore the city every weekend.)

  3. Pendant les vacances, ils affourchaient leurs planches de surf dès l’aube.
    (During the holidays, they would tackle up their surfboards at dawn.)

English translations:

  1. Every morning, I would rig them up before going fishing.
  2. We used to rig up our bikes to explore the city every weekend.
  3. During the holidays, they would tackle up their surfboards at dawn.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of affourcher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je affourchais J’affourchais le cheval. I was mounting the horse.
tu affourchais Tu affourchais ton vélo. You were mounting your bike.
il affourchait Il affourchait la moto. He was mounting the motorcycle.
elle affourchait Elle affourchait son scooter. She was mounting her scooter.
on affourchait On affourchait les ânes. We were mounting the donkeys.
nous affourchions Nous affourchions nos véhicules. We were mounting our vehicles.
vous affourchiez Vous affourchiez les chevaux. You were mounting the horses.
ils affourchaient Ils affourchaient les bicyclettes. They were mounting the bicycles.
elles affourchaient Elles affourchaient les motos. They were mounting the motorcycles.

Other Conjugations for Affourcher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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