Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb alpaguer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb alpaguer

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The English translation of the French verb “alpaguer” is “to apprehend” or “to collar” in the sense of catching or capturing someone. The pronunciation of the infinitive form “alpaguer” is [al-pa-ge].

The word “alpaguer” originates from the combination of the prefix “al-” of Arabic origin, meaning “the” or “to,” and “paguer” which comes from the Middle French word “pau” meaning “pelt” or “skin.” Over time, “alpaguer” has evolved to refer to the act of catching someone and metaphorically “taking their skin.”

In everyday French, “alpaguer” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It can imply the idea of pursuing or confronting someone.

Examples of “alpaguer” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Nous les alpaguions tous les jours à la sortie de l’école.
    (We used to apprehend them every day after school.)

  2. Les policiers alpaguaient les voleurs dès qu’ils les apercevaient.
    (The police would collar the thieves as soon as they spotted them.)

  3. Tu les alpaguais souvent pour leur demander des explications.
    (You used to frequently apprehend them to ask for explanations.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of alpaguer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je alpaguais J’alpaguais les voleurs. I used to catch the thieves.
tu alpaguais Tu alpaguais les suspects. You used to apprehend the suspects.
il alpaguait Il alpaguait les fugitifs. He used to nab the fugitives.
elle alpaguait Elle alpaguait les délinquants. She used to nab the delinquents.
on alpaguait On alpaguait les criminels. We used to nab the criminals.
nous alpaguions Nous alpaguions les contrebandiers. We used to catch the smugglers.
vous alpaguiez Vous alpaguiez les intrus. You used to catch the intruders.
ils alpaguaient Ils alpaguaient les voleurs. They used to catch the thieves.
elles alpaguaient Elles alpaguaient les suspects. They used to apprehend the suspects.

Other Conjugations for Alpaguer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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