Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb agrainer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb agrainer

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The English translation of the French verb “agrainer” is “to shell.” The infinitive form of “agrainer” is pronounced as “a-gray-nay.”

The verb “agrainer” originates from the Old French word “grain,” which means “grain” or “seed.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense, which corresponds to the English past continuous tense. The imparfait tense describes ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of how “agrainer” can be used in the imparfait tense, along with their corresponding English translations:

  1. Chaque été, je me rendais à la ferme pour agrainer les noix. (Every summer, I used to go to the farm to shell the walnuts.)
  2. Pendant mes vacances, ma grand-mère agrainait les petits pois qu’elle avait récoltés dans son jardin. (During my holidays, my grandmother would shell the peas she had harvested from her garden.)
  3. Les enfants agrainaient les fèves pour préparer le plat traditionnel. (The children were shelling the broad beans to prepare the traditional dish.)

Note: The English translations provided are not word-for-word translations but rather convey the general meaning of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of agrainer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je agrainais J’agrainais le blé. I was harvesting the wheat.
tu agrainais Tu agrainais les fleurs. You were pollinating the flowers.
il agrainait Il agrainait les arbres. He was grafting the trees.
elle agrainait Elle agrainait les plantes. She was seeding the plants.
on agrainait On agrainait les champs. We were sowing the fields.
nous agrainions Nous agrainions les légumes. We were cultivating the vegetables.
vous agrainiez Vous agrainiez les cultures. You were fertilizing the crops.
ils agrainaient Ils agrainaient les vignes. They were pruning the vines.
elles agrainaient Elles agrainaient les vergers. They were tending the orchards.

Other Conjugations for Agrainer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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