Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb amener

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb amener

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The English translation of the French verb “amener” is “to bring” or “to take.” The infinitive form of “amener” is pronounced as ah-muh-neh.

The verb “amener” originates from the Old French word “amener” which meant “to bring together.” It is derived from the combination of the prefix “a-” (which can indicate a movement towards) and the verb “mener” (to lead). In everyday French, “amener” is often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “amener” used in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque semaine, j’amènais mon chien au parc. (Every week, I used to bring/take my dog to the park.)
  2. Mes parents m’amenaient à la bibliothèque tous les samedis. (My parents used to bring/take me to the library every Saturday.)
  3. Pendant mes vacances, nous amenions toujours notre tente quand nous allions camper. (During my vacations, we always used to bring/take our tent when we went camping.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to indicate past habitual or repeated actions, providing a sense of continuity or background context to the actions of bringing or taking.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of amener

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je amenais J’amenais mon chien au parc. I was bringing my dog to the park.
tu amenais Tu amenais tes amis à la fête. You were bringing your friends to the party.
il amenait Il amenait ses affaires avec lui. He was bringing his belongings with him.
elle amenait Elle amenait son fils à l’école. She was bringing her son to school.
on amenait On amenait des cadeaux. We were bringing gifts.
nous amenions Nous amenions de la nourriture. We were bringing food.
vous ameniez Vous ameniez vos valises à l’hôtel. You were bringing your suitcases to the hotel.
ils amenaient Ils amenaient leurs enfants au parc. They were bringing their children to the park.
elles amenaient Elles amenaient leurs livres à la bibliothèque. They were bringing their books to the library.

Other Conjugations for Amener.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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