Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arbitrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arbitrer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of arbitrer. 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 arbitrer is “to arbitrate.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “arbitrer” is as follows: [ar-bee-trey].

The verb arbitrer comes from the Latin word “arbitrari,” which means “to judge” or “to decide.” In everyday French, arbitrer is used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past. It is commonly used when referring to someone acting as a referee or judge in a dispute or competition.

Here are three simple examples of arbitrer in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Nous arbitrions les matchs de football chaque semaine.
    (We used to arbitrate football matches every week.)

  2. Tu arbitrais toujours les conflits entre tes enfants.
    (You would always arbitrate conflicts between your children.)

  3. Ils arbitraient les litiges avec impartialité.
    (They were arbitrating disputes with impartiality.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of arbitrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je arbitrais J’arbitrais le match. I was refereeing the match.
tu arbitrais Tu arbitrais avec impartialité. You were refereeing with impartiality.
il arbitrait Il arbitrait les compétitions. He was refereeing the competitions.
elle arbitrait Elle arbitrait les matchs. She was refereeing the matches.
on arbitrait On arbitrait les tournois. We were refereeing the tournaments.
nous arbitrions Nous arbitrions les rencontres. We were refereeing the meetings.
vous arbitriez Vous arbitriez les matchs importants. You were refereeing the important matches.
ils arbitraient Ils arbitraient les championnats. They were refereeing the championships.
elles arbitraient Elles arbitraient les matchs de football. They were refereeing the football matches.

Other Conjugations for Arbitrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 arbitrer imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply