Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arraisonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arraisonner

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The English translation of the French verb “arraisonner” is “to hail” or “to stop.” The infinitive form of arraisonner is pronounced as [a.ʁe.zɔ.ne].

The word arraisonner originates from the Old French term “raison,” which means “reason” or “explanation.” Over time, this term evolved to refer to the action of stopping and questioning someone. In everyday French, arraisonner is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past.

Here are three examples of arraisonner used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, le policier arraisonait les automobilistes suspects.
    Translation: Every evening, the police officer would stop suspicious drivers.

  2. Les douaniers arraisonnaient les voyageurs à la frontière.
    Translation: The customs officers used to hail travelers at the border.

  3. Pendant des années, le capitaine arraisonnait les navires suspects.
    Translation: For years, the captain would stop suspicious ships.

In these examples, arraisonner is used to describe repeated or ongoing actions in the past. It conveys the idea of regularly stopping or hailing individuals or vehicles for questioning or inspection.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of arraisonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je arraisonnais J’arraisonnais le bateau. I was impounding the boat.
tu arraisonnais Tu arraisonnais les marchandises. You were impounding the goods.
il arraisonnait Il arraisonnait le navire. He was impounding the ship.
elle arraisonnait Elle arraisonnait le camion. She was impounding the truck.
on arraisonnait On arraisonnait les cargaisons. We were impounding the cargoes.
nous arraisonnions Nous arraisonnions les contrebandes. We were impounding the contrabands.
vous arraisonniez Vous arraisonniez les véhicules. You were impounding the vehicles.
ils arraisonnaient Ils arraisonnaient les passagers. They were impounding the passengers.
elles arraisonnaient Elles arraisonnaient les colis. They were impounding the packages.

Other Conjugations for Arraisonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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