Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb agiter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb agiter

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The English translation of the French verb “agiter” is “to shake” or “to wave.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “agiter” is [a-ʒi-te].

The verb “agiter” comes from the Latin word “agitare,” meaning “to set in motion” or “to agitate.” In everyday French, “agiter” is commonly used in the imparfait tense (imperfect tense), which indicates an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je l’agitais pour lui dire au revoir.
    (When I was a child, I would wave to say goodbye to him/her.)

  2. Pendant la réunion, elle agitait les documents pour attirer l’attention.
    (During the meeting, she would shake the documents to get attention.)

  3. Nous agitions nos mains dans l’air en signe de victoire.
    (We were waving our hands in the air as a sign of victory.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense indicates a continuous or repeated action in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of agiter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je agitais J’agitais mes mains. I was waving my hands.
tu agitais Tu agitais ta tête. You were shaking your head.
il agitait Il agitait son drapeau. He was waving his flag.
elle agitait Elle agitait sa main. She was waving her hand.
on agitait On agitait les bras. We were waving our arms.
nous agitions Nous agitions nos drapeaux. We were waving our flags.
vous agitiez Vous agitiez le drapeau. You were waving the flag.
ils agitaient Ils agitaient leurs mains. They were waving their hands.
elles agitaient Elles agitaient leurs bras. They were waving their arms.

Other Conjugations for Agiter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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