Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appâter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb appâter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of appâter. 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 appâter is “to bait”. The infinitive form, appâter, is pronounced as ah-pat-ay.

Appâter originates from the Latin word “pascere”, meaning “to feed”. In everyday French, appâter is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past. It is often used in the context of fishing or hunting, but can also be used metaphorically.

Examples of appâter in the imparfait tense and their English translations:

  1. Je l’appâtais avec des appâts vivants. (I was baiting it with live bait.)
  2. Tu appâtais les oiseaux avec des graines. (You were baiting the birds with seeds.)
  3. Les pêcheurs appâtaient la ligne avant de la lancer à l’eau. (The fishermen were baiting the line before casting it into the water.)

Note: The verb appâter can also be used in other tenses, such as the present or the passé composé, depending on the context and the intended meaning.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of appâter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je appâtais J’appâtais les poissons. I was baiting the fish.
tu appâtais Tu appâtais les oiseaux. You were baiting the birds.
il appâtait Il appâtait les animaux. He was baiting the animals.
elle appâtait Elle appâtait les insectes. She was baiting the insects.
on appâtait On appâtait les rats. We were baiting the rats.
nous appâtions Nous appâtions les prédateurs. We were baiting the predators.
vous appâtiez Vous appâtiez les proies. You were baiting the prey.
ils appâtaient Ils appâtaient les carnivores. They were baiting the carnivores.
elles appâtaient Elles appâtaient les poissons. They were baiting the fish.

Other Conjugations for Appâter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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