Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb agglutiner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb agglutiner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of agglutiner. 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 “agglutiner” is “to agglutinate” or “to clump together.” The infinitive form of agglutiner is pronounced as “a-gloo-tee-nay.”

The word “agglutiner” comes from the Latin word “agglutinare,” meaning “to glue together.” In everyday French, “agglutiner” is used to describe the action of sticking or joining different elements together.

Here are three examples of how “agglutiner” is used in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, les enfants s’agglutinaient autour du feu. (Every evening, the children would gather around the fire.)
  2. Les particules se trouvaient agglutinées dans l’eau. (The particles used to clump together in the water.)
  3. Pendant l’heure de pointe, les voitures s’agglutinaient sur l’autoroute. (During rush hour, cars would pile up on the highway.)

These examples demonstrate the action of elements coming together, forming a group or cluster.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of agglutiner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je agglutinais Je agglutinais les mots. I was agglutinating the words.
tu agglutinais Tu agglutinais les morceaux. You were agglutinating the pieces.
il agglutinait Il agglutinait les éléments. He was agglutinating the elements.
elle agglutinait Elle agglutinait les matériaux. She was agglutinating the materials.
on agglutinait On agglutinait les substances. We were agglutinating the substances.
nous agglutinions Nous agglutinions les parties. We were agglutinating the parts.
vous agglutiniez Vous agglutiniez les objets. You were agglutinating the objects.
ils agglutinaient Ils agglutinaient les composants. They were agglutinating the components.
elles agglutinaient Elles agglutinaient les ingrédients. They were agglutinating the ingredients.

Other Conjugations for Agglutiner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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