Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb amonceler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb amonceler

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The English translation of the French verb “amonceler” is “to pile up” or “to heap up.” The infinitive form “amonceler” is pronounced as [a.mɔ̃.sə.le].

The verb “amonceler” originated from the Old French word “amoncel” which means “heap” or “pile.” It is derived from the Latin word “monticellus,” which also means “small mountain” or “heap.” In everyday French, “amonceler” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is the equivalent of the past continuous tense in English.

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

  1. Je l’amoncelais de cadeaux pour son anniversaire. (I was piling up gifts for his/her birthday.)
  2. Pendant la tempête, les feuilles mortes s’amoncelaient dans la cour. (During the storm, the dead leaves were piling up in the courtyard.)
  3. Les livres s’amoncelaient sur son bureau, il n’avait plus de place pour travailler. (The books were piling up on his/her desk, he/she had no more room to work.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of amonceler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je amoncelais J’amoncelais les livres. I was piling up the books.
tu amoncelais Tu amoncelais les vêtements. You were piling up the clothes.
il amoncelait Il amoncelait les papiers. He was piling up the papers.
elle amoncelait Elle amoncelait les boîtes. She was piling up the boxes.
on amoncelait On amoncelait les objets. We were piling up the objects.
nous amoncelions Nous amoncelions les pierres. We were piling up the stones.
vous amonceliez Vous amonceliez les déchets. You were piling up the waste.
ils amoncelaient Ils amoncelaient les jouets. They were piling up the toys.
elles amoncelaient Elles amoncelaient les valises. They were piling up the suitcases.

Other Conjugations for Amonceler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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