Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aimer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aimer

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The English translation of the French verb “aimer” is “to love” or “to like.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “aimer” is [ɛ.me].

The verb “aimer” comes from the Latin word “amāre,” which also means “to love.” It is one of the most commonly used verbs in everyday French conversation, as it expresses affection, preference, or enjoyment.

In the imparfait tense, “aimer” describes an ongoing or habitual action in the past. It is often used to talk about past preferences, feelings, or actions that used to happen repeatedly. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, j’aimais jouer au football.
    (When I was young, I used to love playing soccer.)

  2. Elle aimait se promener dans le parc tous les matins.
    (She used to enjoy taking walks in the park every morning.)

  3. Nous aimions passer nos vacances à la mer.
    (We used to love spending our holidays by the sea.)

Note: The English translations may vary slightly to convey the correct meaning in context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of aimer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je aimais J’aimais le chocolat. I used to love chocolate.
tu aimais Tu aimais lire. You used to love reading.
il aimait Il aimait chanter. He used to love singing.
elle aimait Elle aimait danser. She used to love dancing.
on aimait On aimait jouer au football. We used to love playing football.
nous aimions Nous aimions voyager. We used to love traveling.
vous aimiez Vous aimiez faire du vélo. You used to love biking.
ils aimaient Ils aimaient manger. They used to love eating.
elles aimaient Elles aimaient dessiner. They used to love drawing.

Other Conjugations for Aimer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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