Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aggraver

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aggraver

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The English translation of the French verb “aggraver” is “to worsen” or “to aggravate.” The infinitive form of “aggraver” is pronounced as [aɡʀave].

The word “aggraver” has its origins in Latin, derived from the word “gravis” meaning “heavy” or “serious.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The imparfait tense is used to set the scene or describe background information.

Here are three examples of “aggraver” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Mon mal de tête s’aggravait chaque jour. (My headache was getting worse every day.)
  2. Les tensions entre les deux pays s’aggravaient pendant cette période. (The tensions between the two countries were worsening during that period.)
  3. Sa négligence aggravaient les problèmes familiaux. (His negligence was aggravating the family problems.)

In these examples, the verb “aggraver” is conjugated in the imparfait tense to match the subject and convey ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of aggraver

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je aggravais J’aggravais la situation. I was making the situation worse.
tu aggravais Tu aggravais les problèmes. You were aggravating the problems.
il aggravait Il aggravait sa blessure. He was aggravating his injury.
elle aggravait Elle aggravait son état de santé. She was worsening her health condition.
on aggravait On aggravait les tensions. We were aggravating the tensions.
nous aggravions Nous aggravions la crise. We were worsening the crisis.
vous aggraviez Vous aggraviez la situation. You were making the situation worse.
ils aggravaient Ils aggravaient les dégâts. They were worsening the damages.
elles aggravaient Elles aggravaient la situation. They were making the situation worse.

Other Conjugations for Aggraver.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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