Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb alphabétiser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb alphabétiser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of alphabétiser. 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 “alphabétiser” is “to teach (someone) to read and write.” The infinitive form is pronounced as [al-fa-be-tee-ze].

The word “alphabétiser” originates from the French word “alphabet,” which comes from the Latin word “alphabetum,” meaning “the alphabet.” “Alphabétiser” is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of teaching someone the basics of reading and writing, often specifically related to learning the alphabet.

Here are three examples of how “alphabétiser” is used in the imparfait tense (past continuous):

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, ma mère m’alphabétisait à la maison.
    (When I was young, my mother used to teach me to read and write at home.)

  2. Pendant plusieurs années, elle alphabétisait les enfants en difficulté dans son quartier.
    (For several years, she used to teach reading and writing to struggling children in her neighborhood.)

  3. Nous avions un programme spécial où nous alphabétisions les adultes qui ne savaient pas lire.
    (We had a special program where we used to teach adults who couldn’t read.)

English translations:

  1. When I was young, my mother used to teach me to read and write at home.
  2. For several years, she used to teach reading and writing to struggling children in her neighborhood.
  3. We had a special program where we used to teach adults who couldn’t read.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of alphabétiser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je alphabétisais J’alphabétisais les enfants. I was teaching the children to read and write.
tu alphabétisais Tu alphabétisais ta sœur. You were teaching your sister to read and write.
il alphabétisait Il alphabétisait les adultes. He was teaching the adults to read and write.
elle alphabétisait Elle alphabétisait les personnes âgées. She was teaching the elderly to read and write.
on alphabétisait On alphabétisait les analphabètes. We were teaching illiterate people to read and write.
nous alphabétisions Nous alphabétisions les réfugiés. We were teaching the refugees to read and write.
vous alphabétisiez Vous alphabétisiez les immigrants. You were teaching the immigrants to read and write.
ils alphabétisaient Ils alphabétisaient les travailleurs. They were teaching the workers to read and write.
elles alphabétisaient Elles alphabétisaient les étudiants. They were teaching the students to read and write.

Other Conjugations for Alphabétiser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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