Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arracher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arracher

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The English translation of the French verb “arracher” is “to pull out” or “to tear off”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form “arracher” is [a-ra-ʃe].

The verb “arracher” originates from the Old French word “arrachier”, which means “to pull, to snatch”. It comes from the Vulgar Latin word “raptiare”, which means “to seize”. In everyday French, “arracher” is commonly used to describe forcefully pulling or tearing something off or out of a place or from someone’s hands.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, j’arrachais les mauvaises herbes dans le jardin. (When I was a child, I used to pull out weeds in the garden.)
  2. Pendant la tempête, le vent arrachait les branches des arbres. (During the storm, the wind was tearing off branches from the trees.)
  3. Elle arrachait les affiches du mur avec colère. (She was angrily tearing the posters off the wall.)

Note: The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated past actions or states.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of arracher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je arrachais J’arrachais les mauvaises herbes. I was pulling out the weeds.
tu arrachais Tu arrachais les affiches. You were tearing down the posters.
il arrachait Il arrachait les pages du livre. He was ripping out the pages of the book.
elle arrachait Elle arrachait les fleurs. She was plucking the flowers.
on arrachait On arrachait les mauvaises herbes. We were pulling out the weeds.
nous arrachions Nous arrachions les mauvaises herbes. We were pulling out the weeds.
vous arrachiez Vous arrachiez les affiches. You were tearing down the posters.
ils arrachaient Ils arrachaient les pages du livre. They were ripping out the pages of the book.
elles arrachaient Elles arrachaient les fleurs. They were plucking the flowers.

Other Conjugations for Arracher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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