Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb appeler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of appeler. 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 appeler is “to call” or “to name.” The infinitive form “appeler” is pronounced as [a.pə.le].

The verb appeler originates from the Latin verb appellare, meaning “to call upon” or “to name.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Examples of appeler in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je t’appelais tous les jours. (I used to call you every day.)
  2. Nous appelions notre chat “Minou.” (We used to call our cat “Minou.”)
  3. Quand j’étais enfant, mes amis m’appelaient “Petit.” (When I was a child, my friends used to call me “Petit.”)

English translations:

  1. I used to call you every day.
  2. We used to call our cat “Minou.”
  3. When I was a child, my friends used to call me “Petit.”

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of appeler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je appelais J’appelais mon ami. I was calling my friend.
tu appelais Tu appelais ta mère. You were calling your mother.
il appelait Il appelait son frère. He was calling his brother.
elle appelait Elle appelait son père. She was calling her father.
on appelait On appelait nos amis. We were calling our friends.
nous appelions Nous appelions nos voisins. We were calling our neighbors.
vous appeliez Vous appeliez votre professeur. You were calling your teacher.
ils appelaient Ils appelaient leurs parents. They were calling their parents.
elles appelaient Elles appelaient leur amie. They were calling their friend.

Other Conjugations for Appeler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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