Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb araser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb araser

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The English translation of the French verb “araser” is “to level” or “to smooth.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “a-ra-zay.”

The word “araser” originates from the Old French term “raser” which means “to scrape off” or “to shave.” Over time, it evolved to the current meaning of “to level” or “to smooth” in modern French.

In everyday French, the verb “araser” is commonly used in the imparfait tense (imperfect tense), which describes ongoing or continuous actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:

  1. Je l’arasais tous les jours. (I used to level it every day.)
  2. Nous arasions la surface pendant des heures. (We were leveling the surface for hours.)
  3. Ils arasaient la terre pour préparer le terrain. (They were smoothing the ground to prepare the field.)

These examples illustrate how “araser” is used to describe the repetitive or continuous action of leveling or smoothing something in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of araser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je arasais J’arasais le bois. I was planing the wood.
tu arasais Tu arasais la surface. You were smoothing the surface.
il arasait Il arasait le sol. He was leveling the floor.
elle arasait Elle arasait le gâteau. She was leveling the cake.
on arasait On arasait le terrain. We were leveling the ground.
nous arasions Nous arasions les murs. We were scraping the walls.
vous arasiez Vous arasiez les meubles. You were sanding the furniture.
ils arasaient Ils arasaient les poutres. They were planing the beams.
elles arasaient Elles arasaient les planches. They were smoothing the planks.

Other Conjugations for Araser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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