Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aimanter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aimanter

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The English translation of the French verb “aimanter” is “to magnetize” or “to attract.” The infinitive form “aimanter” is pronounced as [ɛ.mɑ̃.te].

The word “aimanter” comes from the noun “aimant” meaning “magnet.” It is derived from the Latin word “adamas” (meaning hard steel or magnet) and the Greek word “adamas” (meaning unconquerable or hard). In everyday French, “aimanter” is used to describe the action of magnetizing or attracting, both literally and figuratively.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je m’aimantais à tout ce qui était mystérieux.
    (When I was a child, I was attracted to everything that was mysterious.)

  2. Pendant la réunion, le conférencier aimantait l’attention de son public.
    (During the meeting, the speaker magnetized the audience’s attention.)

  3. Elle s’aimantait à ce garçon depuis le premier jour où elle l’a vu.
    (She was attracted to that boy since the first day she saw him.)

Note: In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of aimanter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je aimantais J’aimantais les clés. I was magnetizing the keys.
tu aimantais Tu aimantais les objets. You were magnetizing the objects.
il aimantait Il aimantait le métal. He was magnetizing the metal.
elle aimantait Elle aimantait les aimants. She was magnetizing the magnets.
on aimantait On aimantait les matériaux. We were magnetizing the materials.
nous aimantions Nous aimantions les outils. We were magnetizing the tools.
vous aimantiez Vous aimantiez les feuilles. You were magnetizing the leaves.
ils aimantaient Ils aimantaient les aimants. They were magnetizing the magnets.
elles aimantaient Elles aimantaient les clés. They were magnetizing the keys.

Other Conjugations for Aimanter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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