Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb archaïser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb archaïser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of archaïser. 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 “archaïser” is “to archaize.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahr-kay-ee-zay.”

The word “archaïser” is derived from the French noun “archaïsme” and the suffix “-iser.” “Archaïsme” refers to a linguistic form or expression that is old-fashioned, outdated, or no longer in common usage. The suffix “-iser” is often added to nouns or adjectives to create verbs indicating the action of adopting or imitating the quality or characteristic of the base word.

In everyday French, the verb “archaïser” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe the act of speaking or writing in an archaic manner, imitating the language style of the past. This verb is commonly used in literary or formal contexts to evoke a particular era or to add an antique or nostalgic touch to the language.

Here are three simple examples of the usage of “archaïser” in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Les écrivains romantiques archaïsaient leur langage pour ressembler à celui des poètes du Moyen Âge.
    (Romantic writers used to archaize their language to resemble that of medieval poets.)

  2. L’auteur a choisi d’archaïser son style d’écriture pour donner une atmosphère rétro à son roman.
    (The author chose to archaize his writing style to give a retro atmosphere to his novel.)

  3. En utilisant des mots désuets et des tournures de phrases vieillies, le poète archaïsait son poème.
    (By using outdated words and old-fashioned sentence structures, the poet was archaizing his poem.)

Note: The English translations provided above are not literal translations but rather intended to convey the meaning in a way that makes sense in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of archaïser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je archaïsais J’archaïsais mes écrits. I was archaizing my writings.
tu archaïsais Tu archaïsais ton langage. You were archaizing your language.
il archaïsait Il archaïsait ses coutumes. He was archaizing his customs.
elle archaïsait Elle archaïsait son style. She was archaizing her style.
on archaïsait On archaïsait nos traditions. We were archaizing our traditions.
nous archaïsions Nous archaïsions nos habitudes. We were archaizing our habits.
vous archaïsiez Vous archaïsiez vos discours. You were archaizing your speeches.
ils archaïsaient Ils archaïsaient leurs pratiques. They were archaizing their practices.
elles archaïsaient Elles archaïsaient leurs costumes. They were archaizing their costumes.

Other Conjugations for Archaïser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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