Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arquer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of arquer. 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 “arquer” is “to arch” or “to bend”. The infinitive form of “arquer” is pronounced as “ar-kay”.

The verb “arquer” comes from the Latin word “arcus” meaning “bow” or “arch”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “arquer” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, il arquait son dos en travaillant sur son ordinateur.
    (Every evening, he would arch his back while working on his computer.)

  2. Les danseurs arquaient gracieusement leur corps pendant le ballet.
    (The dancers would gracefully arch their bodies during the ballet.)

  3. L’arbre arquait ses branches sous le poids de la neige.
    (The tree would bend its branches under the weight of the snow.)

In these examples, the verb “arquer” is used to describe actions that were habitually or repeatedly taking place in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of arquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je arquais J’arquais mon dos. I was arching my back.
tu arquais Tu arquais tes sourcils. You were arching your eyebrows.
il arquait Il arquait son dos. He was arching his back.
elle arquait Elle arquait ses sourcils. She was arching her eyebrows.
on arquait On arquait le pont. We were arching the bridge.
nous arquions Nous arquions nos dos. We were arching our backs.
vous arquiez Vous arquiez vos sourcils. You were arching your eyebrows.
ils arquaient Ils arquaient le pont. They were arching the bridge.
elles arquaient Elles arquaient leurs sourcils. They were arching their eyebrows.

Other Conjugations for Arquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 arquer imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply