Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Introduction to the verb arrêter
The English translation of the French verb “arrêter” is “to stop” or “to arrest.” The infinitive form, “arrêter,” is pronounced as [a.ʁe.te].
“Arrêter” comes from the Old French word “arrest,” which means “to stop, detain, or take into custody.” It ultimately derives from the Latin word “arrestare,” meaning “to stop or hinder.”
In everyday French, the verb “arrêter” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It is often used to express actions that were taking place when another event occurred or to describe a background action in the past.
Here are three examples of the usage of “arrêter” in the imparfait tense:
- Quand j’étais jeune, j’arrêtais de fumer. (When I was young, I used to stop smoking.)
- Nous arrêtions toujours de travailler à midi pour déjeuner. (We used to always stop working at noon to have lunch.)
- Pendant les vacances, ils n’arrêtaient pas de se disputer. (During the holidays, they kept on arguing.)
English translations:
- When I was young, I used to stop smoking.
- We used to always stop working at noon to have lunch.
- During the holidays, they kept on arguing.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of arrêter
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | arrêtais | J’arrêtais de fumer. | I was quitting smoking. |
tu | arrêtais | Tu arrêtais de parler. | You were stopping talking. |
il | arrêtait | Il arrêtait de travailler. | He was stopping working. |
elle | arrêtait | Elle arrêtait de pleurer. | She was stopping crying. |
on | arrêtait | On arrêtait de jouer. | We were stopping playing. |
nous | arrêtions | Nous arrêtions de manger. | We were stopping eating. |
vous | arrêtiez | Vous arrêtiez de courir. | You were stopping running. |
ils | arrêtaient | Ils arrêtaient de marcher. | They were stopping walking. |
elles | arrêtaient | Elles arrêtaient de danser. | They were stopping dancing. |
Other Conjugations for Arrêter.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
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Arrêter – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb arrêter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!