Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aluner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aluner

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The English translation of the French verb “aluner” is “to moonwalk.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “aluner” is [a.ly.ne].

“Aluner” is a derived verb from the noun “alun” (alum). It entered the French language in the 20th century and is mainly used to describe the specific dance move popularized by Michael Jackson, where one walks backward smoothly, appearing to glide forward.

In everyday French, the verb “aluner” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je m’alunais tout le temps.
    (When I was young, I used to moonwalk all the time.)

  2. Chaque fois que la chanson passait, nous alunions comme des experts.
    (Every time the song played, we would moonwalk like experts.)

  3. Ils s’amusaient à aluner sur la piste de danse du club.
    (They were having fun moonwalking on the dance floor of the club.)

English translations:

  1. When I was young, I used to moonwalk all the time.
  2. Every time the song played, we would moonwalk like experts.
  3. They were having fun moonwalking on the dance floor of the club.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of aluner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je alunais J’alunais chaque matin. I was anchoring every morning.
tu alunais Tu alunais le bateau. You were anchoring the boat.
il alunait Il alunait en douceur. He was anchoring gently.
elle alunait Elle alunait avec habileté. She was anchoring skillfully.
on alunait On alunait calmement. We were anchoring calmly.
nous alunions Nous alunions ensemble. We were anchoring together.
vous aluniez Vous aluniez rapidement. You were anchoring quickly.
ils alunaient Ils alunaient à marée basse. They were anchoring at low tide.
elles alunaient Elles alunaient avec précaution. They were anchoring carefully.

Other Conjugations for Aluner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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