Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb antidater

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb antidater

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The English translation of the French verb “antidater” is “to predate.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahn-tee-dat-ay.”

The language origin of “antidater” can be broken down into two parts. The prefix “anti-” comes from the Greek language and means “before” or “prior to.” The root word “dater” is derived from the Latin word “datare,” meaning “to give.” The verb “antidater” is commonly used in every day French in the imparfait tense to indicate an action that was happening in the past.

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

  1. Je l’antidatais pour éviter les conséquences – I was pre-dating it to avoid the consequences.
  2. Tu antidatais les chèques pour régler tes factures – You were pre-dating the checks to pay your bills.
  3. Nous antidations les documents pour respecter les délais – We were pre-dating the documents to meet the deadlines.

These examples demonstrate the usage of “antidater” in the imparfait tense, indicating ongoing or continuous actions in the past. The verb is conjugated differently based on the subject pronoun and the tense.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of antidater

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je antidatais J’antidatais le document. I was backdating the document.
tu antidatais Tu antidatais ta lettre. You were backdating your letter.
il antidatait Il antidatait le contrat. He was backdating the contract.
elle antidatait Elle antidatait le formulaire. She was backdating the form.
on antidatait On antidatait les documents. We were backdating the documents.
nous antidations Nous antidations les billets. We were backdating the tickets.
vous antidatiez Vous antidatiez les factures. You were backdating the invoices.
ils antidataient Ils antidataient les dossiers. They were backdating the files.
elles antidataient Elles antidataient les chèques. They were backdating the checks.

Other Conjugations for Antidater.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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