Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Introduction to the verb ailler
The English translation of the French verb “ailler” is “to go.” The infinitive form, “aller,” is pronounced as “al-ey.”
The verb “aller” is derived from the Latin word “ambulare,” which means “to walk.” In everyday French, “aller” is one of the most commonly used verbs, mainly in the imparfait tense. The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.
Here are three simple examples of “aller” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:
-
Quand j’étais enfant, j’allais à l’école à pied.
Translation: When I was a child, I used to go to school on foot. -
Nous allions souvent au cinéma le samedi soir.
Translation: We used to go to the movies on Saturday nights. -
Les vacances d’été, mes parents et moi, nous allions à la plage.
Translation: During summer vacations, my parents and I used to go to the beach.
In these examples, “aller” is used to express the idea of going or traveling in the past, indicating repeated or ongoing actions.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of ailler
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | aillais | J’aillais à l’école. | I used to go to school. |
tu | aillais | Tu aillais voir tes amis. | You used to go see your friends. |
il | aillait | Il aillait tous les jours. | He used to go every day. |
elle | aillait | Elle aillait chez sa grand-mère. | She used to go to her grandmother’s house. |
on | aillait | On aillait au parc. | We used to go to the park. |
nous | aillions | Nous aillions à la piscine. | We used to go to the swimming pool. |
vous | ailliez | Vous ailliez du courage. | You used to have courage. |
ils | aillaient | Ils aillaient au cinéma. | They used to go to the cinema. |
elles | aillaient | Elles aillaient à la plage. | They used to go to the beach. |
Other Conjugations for Ailler.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ailler
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Ailler – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb ailler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!