Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affûter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affûter

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The English translation of the French verb affûter is “to sharpen”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form “affûter” is ah-few-tay.

The word affûter has its origins in the Old French word “afuter” which meant “to make pointed.” The verb is derived from the Latin word “ad” (meaning “to”) and “futare” (meaning “to make sharp”).

In everyday French, the verb affûter is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je l’affûtais tous les mois. (I used to sharpen it every month.)
  2. Pendant notre séjour à la campagne, il affûtait son couteau tous les jours. (During our stay in the countryside, he would sharpen his knife every day.)
  3. Tu affûtais tes crayons avant chaque cours. (You would sharpen your pencils before each class.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to describe the repeated action of sharpening something in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of affûter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je affûtais J’affûtais mon couteau. I was sharpening my knife.
tu affûtais Tu affûtais tes crayons. You were sharpening your pencils.
il affûtait Il affûtait sa lame. He was sharpening his blade.
elle affûtait Elle affûtait son couteau. She was sharpening her knife.
on affûtait On affûtait nos outils. We were sharpening our tools.
nous affûtions Nous affûtions nos couteaux. We were sharpening our knives.
vous affûtiez Vous affûtiez vos ciseaux. You were sharpening your scissors.
ils affûtaient Ils affûtaient leurs lames. They were sharpening their blades.
elles affûtaient Elles affûtaient leurs couteaux. They were sharpening their knives.

Other Conjugations for Affûter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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