Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb alarmer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb alarmer

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The English translation of the French verb “alarmer” is “to alarm.” The infinitive form of alarmer is pronounced as “a-laʁ-me” in French.

The word “alarmer” originates from the Latin word “alarmare,” which means “to cause concern.” In everyday French, “alarmer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, les bruits étranges dans la nuit m’alarmaient. (When I was a child, the strange noises at night would alarm me.)
  2. Les nouvelles alarmantes à la télévision nous alarmaient tous les soirs. (The alarming news on television would alarm us every evening.)
  3. Les symptômes qu’il présentait l’alarmaient, mais il ne consultait pas le médecin. (The symptoms he was experiencing would alarm him, but he didn’t see a doctor.)

In these examples, the verb “alarmer” is used to express a continuous or repeated action in the past, indicating a state of being alarmed or causing concern.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of alarmer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je alarmais J’alarmais mes parents. I was alarming my parents.
tu alarmais Tu alarmais tout le monde. You were alarming everyone.
il alarmait Il alarmait les voisins. He was alarming the neighbors.
elle alarmait Elle alarmait ses amis. She was alarming her friends.
on alarmait On alarmait les passants. We were alarming the passersby.
nous alarmions Nous alarmions la ville. We were alarming the city.
vous alarmiez Vous alarmiez les autorités. You were alarming the authorities.
ils alarmaient Ils alarmaient les habitants. They were alarming the residents.
elles alarmaient Elles alarmaient les commerçants. They were alarming the shopkeepers.

Other Conjugations for Alarmer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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