Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb amnistier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb amnistier

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The English translation of the French verb “amnistier” is “to grant amnesty.” The infinitive form of “amnistier” is pronounced as “ahm-nee-stee-eh.”

The word “amnistier” originates from the Latin word “amnestiare,” which means “to grant amnesty.” It entered the French language in the 16th century.

In everyday French, the verb “amnistier” is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It is often used in legal and political contexts, referring to the act of pardoning or giving amnesty to individuals.

Examples of “amnistier” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Pendant son mandat, le président amnistiait régulièrement les prisonniers politiques.
    (During his term, the president would regularly grant amnesty to political prisoners.)

  2. Le gouvernement envisageait d’amnistier les personnes impliquées dans les manifestations.
    (The government was considering granting amnesty to individuals involved in the protests.)

  3. À l’époque, le pays avait l’habitude d’amnistier les crimes commis pendant la guerre.
    (At that time, the country had the habit of granting amnesty for crimes committed during the war.)

English translations:

  1. During his term, the president would regularly grant amnesty to political prisoners.
  2. The government was considering granting amnesty to individuals involved in the protests.
  3. At that time, the country had the habit of granting amnesty for crimes committed during the war.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of amnistier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je amnistiais J’amnistiais les prisonniers politiques. I was granting amnesty to political prisoners.
tu amnistiais Tu amnistiais les délinquants. You were granting amnesty to offenders.
il amnistiait Il amnistiait les criminels. He was granting amnesty to criminals.
elle amnistiait Elle amnistiait les coupables. She was granting amnesty to the guilty.
on amnistiait On amnistiait les condamnés. We were granting amnesty to the convicted.
nous amnistions Nous amnistions les réfugiés. We were granting amnesty to refugees.
vous amnistiez Vous amnistiez les exilés. You were granting amnesty to exiles.
ils amnistiaient Ils amnistiaient les immigrés. They were granting amnesty to immigrants.
elles amnistiaient Elles amnistiaient les sans-papiers. They were granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants.

Other Conjugations for Amnistier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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