Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apporter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apporter

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The English translation of the French verb “apporter” is “to bring.” The infinitive form of “apporter” is pronounced as “ah-por-tay.”

The verb “apporter” comes from the Latin word “apportare,” which means “to bring something to a place.” In everyday French, “apporter” is commonly used to express the action of bringing or carrying something to a specific location.

In the imperfect tense (imparfait), “apporter” describes a past ongoing action or a habitual action in the past. It is often used to express repeated actions, ongoing states of being, or to set the stage for another action or event. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, j’apportais le journal à mon père.
    (Every morning, I would bring the newspaper to my father.)

  2. Ils apportaient toujours des fleurs quand ils venaient chez nous.
    (They would always bring flowers when they came to our house.)

  3. Nous apportions nos propres boissons aux fêtes.
    (We used to bring our own drinks to parties.)

Overall, “apporter” is a versatile verb used to convey the action of bringing or carrying something, and it is commonly used in everyday French to describe past ongoing or habitual actions.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of apporter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je apportais J’apportais des fleurs. I was bringing flowers.
tu apportais Tu apportais tes livres. You were bringing your books.
il apportait Il apportait son parapluie. He was bringing his umbrella.
elle apportait Elle apportait sa valise. She was bringing her suitcase.
on apportait On apportait des cadeaux. We were bringing gifts.
nous apportions Nous apportions le repas. We were bringing the meal.
vous apportiez Vous apportiez des informations. You were bringing information.
ils apportaient Ils apportaient leur équipement. They were bringing their equipment.
elles apportaient Elles apportaient des boissons. They were bringing drinks.

Other Conjugations for Apporter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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