Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb allumer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb allumer

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The English translation of the French verb “allumer” is “to light” or “to turn on”. The infinitive form “allumer” is pronounced as “a-lyoo-mey”.

The word “allumer” originated from the Latin word “aluminare,” meaning “to illuminate.” In everyday French, “allumer” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

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

  1. Chaque soir, j’allumais une bougie dans le salon. (Every evening, I would light a candle in the living room.)
  2. Quand j’étais petit, j’allumais toujours la télévision en rentrant de l’école. (When I was little, I would always turn on the television when coming back from school.)
  3. Nous allumions les lumières chaque fois qu’il faisait sombre. (We would turn on the lights every time it got dark.)

Note: The translations provided here may vary based on the context and intended meaning.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of allumer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je allumais J’allumais la lumière. I was turning on the light.
tu allumais Tu allumais la télévision. You were turning on the television.
il allumait Il allumait la cheminée. He was lighting the fireplace.
elle allumait Elle allumait les bougies. She was lighting the candles.
on allumait On allumait les lampes. We were turning on the lamps.
nous allumions Nous allumions le feu. We were lighting the fire.
vous allumiez Vous allumiez la voiture. You were starting the car.
ils allumaient Ils allumaient les feux d’artifice. They were setting off the fireworks.
elles allumaient Elles allumaient les bougies. They were lighting the candles.

Other Conjugations for Allumer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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