Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb approprier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb approprier

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The English translation of the French verb “approprier” is “to appropriate” or “to adapt.” The infinitive form “approprier” is pronounced as “a-pro-pree-ay.”

The verb “approprier” comes from the Latin word “appropriare,” which means “to appropriate” or “to make one’s own.” In everyday French, “approprier” is most often used in the imparfait tense to express an ongoing or habitual action in the past. The imparfait tense is used to describe a state of being or an ongoing action that doesn’t have a specific beginning or end.

Here are three simple examples of how “approprier” can be used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je m’appropriais les connaissances de mon grand-père. (I was appropriating my grandfather’s knowledge.)
  2. Tu t’appropriais les vêtements de ta sœur. (You were appropriating your sister’s clothes.)
  3. Il s’appropriait les idées des autres sans les créditer. (He was appropriating other people’s ideas without giving them credit.)

In these examples, the verb “approprier” is used to describe an ongoing action or a habitual behavior in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of approprier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’appropriais Je m’appropriais les idées. I was appropriating the ideas.
tu t’appropriais Tu t’appropriais le pouvoir. You were appropriating the power.
il s’appropriait Il s’appropriait les biens. He was appropriating the goods.
elle s’appropriait Elle s’appropriait les connaissances. She was appropriating the knowledge.
on s’appropriait On s’appropriait les ressources. We were appropriating the resources.
nous nous appropriions Nous nous appropriions les compétences. We were appropriating the skills.
vous vous appropriiez Vous vous appropriiez les valeurs. You were appropriating the values.
ils s’appropriaient Ils s’appropriaient les terres. They were appropriating the lands.
elles s’appropriaient Elles s’appropriaient les cultures. They were appropriating the cultures.

Other Conjugations for Approprier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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