Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb allaiter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb allaiter

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The English translation of the French verb “allaiter” is “to breastfeed.” The infinitive form of “allaiter” is pronounced as “a-lè-tay.”

The verb “allaiter” originates from the Latin word “alitare,” which means “to nourish.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imperfect tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The imperfect tense is used to express habitual actions, states of being, or descriptions of past events.

Here are three simple examples of “allaiter” in the imperfect tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je l’allaitais tous les jours. (I used to breastfeed him/her every day.)
  2. Elles allaitaient leurs bébés pendant des mois. (They used to breastfeed their babies for months.)
  3. Tu m’allaitais quand j’étais bébé. (You used to breastfeed me when I was a baby.)

These examples highlight the habitual nature of breastfeeding in the past and show how the verb “allaiter” is conjugated in the imperfect tense to match the subject pronouns and time frame.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of allaiter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je allaitais J’allaitais mon bébé. I was breastfeeding my baby.
tu allaitais Tu allaitais ta fille. You were breastfeeding your daughter.
il allaitait Il allaitait son fils. He was breastfeeding his son.
elle allaitait Elle allaitait son bébé. She was breastfeeding her baby.
on allaitait On allaitait les jumeaux. We were breastfeeding the twins.
nous allaitions Nous allaitons nos enfants. We were breastfeeding our children.
vous allaitiez Vous allaitiez votre bébé. You were breastfeeding your baby.
ils allaitaient Ils allaitaient leurs enfants. They were breastfeeding their children.
elles allaitaient Elles allaitaient leurs bébés. They were breastfeeding their babies.

Other Conjugations for Allaiter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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