Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apprécier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apprécier

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of apprécier. 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 apprécier is “to appreciate” or “to enjoy”. The infinitive form “apprécier” is pronounced as “ah-pray-see-ay”.

Apprécier originates from the Latin word “appretiare”, which means “to appraise” or “to value”. In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express a past habit or ongoing action. The imparfait tense indicates an incomplete action that happened regularly or repeatedly in the past.

Here are three examples of apprécier in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’appréciais ma grand-mère. (I appreciated/enjoyed my grandmother.)
    This sentence implies that the speaker regularly appreciated their grandmother in the past.

  2. Tu appréciais la musique classique. (You appreciated/enjoyed classical music.)
    It suggests that the person had a habit of enjoying classical music in the past.

  3. Nous appréciions nos vacances à la plage. (We appreciated/enjoyed our vacations at the beach.)
    This sentence indicates that the speaker and others regularly enjoyed their vacations at the beach in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of apprécier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je appréciais J’appréciais le film. I was enjoying the movie.
tu appréciais Tu appréciais la musique. You were enjoying the music.
il appréciait Il appréciait le repas. He was enjoying the meal.
elle appréciait Elle appréciait le spectacle. She was enjoying the show.
on appréciait On appréciait la compagnie. We were enjoying the company.
nous apprécions Nous apprécions la nature. We were enjoying nature.
vous appréciez Vous appréciez l’art. You were enjoying art.
ils appréciaient Ils appréciaient le voyage. They were enjoying the trip.
elles appréciaient Elles appréciaient la lecture. They were enjoying reading.

Other Conjugations for Apprécier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the apprécier imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply