Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aligner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aligner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of aligner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “aligner” is “to align” in English. The infinitive form, “aligner,” is pronounced as ah-lee-ney.

The word “aligner” originated from the Latin word “alineare,” meaning “to put in a line.” It is most often used in everyday French to indicate the action of putting things in a straight line or bringing them into alignment.

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

  1. Chaque matin, je lui alignais les crayons sur son bureau.
    (Every morning, I used to align his pencils on his desk.)

  2. Pendant la réunion, elle alignait les chaises en rangées pour les participants.
    (During the meeting, she would align the chairs in rows for the participants.)

  3. Nous alignions les livres sur l’étagère tous les soirs avant de dormir.
    (We used to align the books on the shelf every night before going to sleep.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of aligner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je alignais J’alignais les chiffres. I was aligning the numbers.
tu alignais Tu alignais les livres. You were aligning the books.
il alignait Il alignait les colonnes. He was aligning the columns.
elle alignait Elle alignait les lignes. She was aligning the lines.
on alignait On alignait les objets. We were aligning the objects.
nous alignions Nous alignions les documents. We were aligning the documents.
vous aligniez Vous aligniez les photos. You were aligning the photos.
ils alignaient Ils alignaient les mots. They were aligning the words.
elles alignaient Elles alignaient les lettres. They were aligning the letters.

Other Conjugations for Aligner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the aligner imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply