Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ambitionner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ambitionner

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The English translation of the French verb “ambitionner” is “to aspire” or “to have ambitions.” The infinitive form “ambitionner” is pronounced as ahm-bee-oh-neh.

The word “ambitionner” originates from the Latin word “ambitio,” which means “ambition” or “desire for power.” In everyday French, “ambitionner” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions or states in the past.

Here are three examples of “ambitionner” used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, j’ambitionnais de devenir médecin.
    (When I was young, I aspired to become a doctor.)

  2. Elle ambitionnait toujours de voyager à travers le monde.
    (She always aspired to travel the world.)

  3. Nous ambitionnions de changer la société avec nos idées.
    (We aspired to change society with our ideas.)

In these examples, “ambitionner” is used to express ongoing ambitions or desires in the past, highlighting a continuous state or action.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of ambitionner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je ambitionnais J’ambitionnais d’être président. I was aspiring to be president.
tu ambitionnais Tu ambitionnais de voyager. You were aspiring to travel.
il ambitionnait Il ambitionnait de devenir médecin. He was aspiring to become a doctor.
elle ambitionnait Elle ambitionnait de devenir actrice. She was aspiring to become an actress.
on ambitionnait On ambitionnait de réussir. We were aspiring to succeed.
nous ambitionnions Nous ambitionnions de changer le monde. We were aspiring to change the world.
vous ambitionniez Vous ambitionniez de gagner beaucoup d’argent. You were aspiring to earn a lot of money.
ils ambitionnaient Ils ambitionnaient de devenir avocats. They were aspiring to become lawyers.
elles ambitionnaient Elles ambitionnaient de devenir professeurs. They were aspiring to become teachers.

Other Conjugations for Ambitionner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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