Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apparier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apparier

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The English translation of the French verb “apparier” is “to pair” or “to match.” The infinitive form of “apparier” is pronounced as [a.pa.ʁje].

The word “apparier” is derived from the Latin word “par” which means “equal.” In everyday French, “apparier” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe actions or situations that were ongoing or habitual in the past. It can also convey a sense of continuity or background information in a story.

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

  1. Chaque année, ils appariaient les étudiants pour le projet de groupe.
    (Every year, they paired the students for the group project.)

  2. Pendant notre enfance, nous apparions nos chaussettes avant de les mettre.
    (During our childhood, we would match our socks before wearing them.)

  3. Autrefois, les agriculteurs appariaient les animaux de la ferme pour la reproduction.
    (In the past, farmers would pair the farm animals for breeding.)

In these examples, “apparier” is used to describe repeated actions or habits in the past, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the pairing or matching.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of apparier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je appariais J’appariais les chaussettes. I used to pair the socks.
tu appariais Tu appariais les couleurs. You used to pair the colors.
il appariait Il appariait les animaux. He used to pair the animals.
elle appariait Elle appariait les objets. She used to pair the objects.
on appariait On appariait les vêtements. We used to pair the clothes.
nous appariions Nous appariions les mots. We used to pair the words.
vous appariiez Vous appariiez les éléments. You used to pair the elements.
ils appariaient Ils appariaient les plantes. They used to pair the plants.
elles appariaient Elles appariaient les fruits. They used to pair the fruits.

Other Conjugations for Apparier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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