Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apostiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apostiller

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of apostiller. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “apostiller” is “to annotate” or “to certify” in the context of official documents. The infinitive form “apostiller” is pronounced as ah-poh-stee-yay.

The word “apostiller” comes from the Latin word “apostilla,” which means “annotation.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the imparfait tense when referring to the act of annotating or certifying documents.

Examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque fois que j’étais au bureau, je l’apostillais. (Every time I was at the office, I would annotate it.)
  2. Il apostillait les documents avec soin, en utilisant un tampon spécial. (He would certify the documents carefully, using a special stamp.)
  3. Nous apostillions les contrats avant de les envoyer aux clients. (We used to annotate the contracts before sending them to the clients.)

English translations:

  1. Every time I was at the office, I would annotate it.
  2. He would certify the documents carefully, using a special stamp.
  3. We used to annotate the contracts before sending them to the clients.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of apostiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je apostillais J’apostillais les documents. I was apostilling the documents.
tu apostillais Tu apostillais ton passeport. You were apostilling your passport.
il apostillait Il apostillait les contrats. He was apostilling the contracts.
elle apostillait Elle apostillait les certificats. She was apostilling the certificates.
on apostillait On apostillait les lettres. We were apostilling the letters.
nous apostillions Nous apostillions les formulaires. We were apostilling the forms.
vous apostilliez Vous apostilliez les dossiers. You were apostilling the files.
ils apostillaient Ils apostillaient les actes. They were apostilling the deeds.
elles apostillaient Elles apostillaient les permissions. They were apostilling the permissions.

Other Conjugations for Apostiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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