Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb asphyxier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb asphyxier

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The English translation of the French verb “asphyxier” is “to asphyxiate” or “to suffocate.” The infinitive form “asphyxier” is pronounced as “ahs-fee-ksee-ay.”

The word “asphyxier” has its origin in the Greek word “asphyxia,” which means “lack of pulse” or “to stop the heartbeat.” In everyday French, the verb “asphyxier” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It can refer to physical suffocation or to situations where one feels emotionally or mentally suffocated.

Here are three examples of “asphyxier” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand il était petit, le bébé avait peur de s’endormir et craignait de s’asphyxier pendant la nuit.
    Translation: When he was little, the baby was afraid to fall asleep and feared suffocating during the night.

  2. Pendant cette période, elle se sentait asphyxiée par son travail et n’arrivait pas à trouver un bon équilibre.
    Translation: During that period, she felt suffocated by her work and couldn’t find a good balance.

  3. Les conditions de vie dans cette région étaient si mauvaises qu’on se sentait asphyxié en permanence.
    Translation: The living conditions in that region were so poor that one felt suffocated constantly.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of asphyxier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je asphyxiais J’asphyxiais les mauvaises herbes. I was suffocating the weeds.
tu asphyxiais Tu asphyxiais le serpent. You were suffocating the snake.
il asphyxiait Il asphyxiait les insectes. He was suffocating the insects.
elle asphyxiait Elle asphyxiait les mauvaises odeurs. She was suffocating the bad smells.
on asphyxiait On asphyxiait les flammes. We were suffocating the flames.
nous asphyxiions Nous asphyxiions nos ennemis. We were suffocating our enemies.
vous asphyxiiez Vous asphyxiiez les rumeurs. You were suffocating the rumors.
ils asphyxiaient Ils asphyxiaient les souris. They were suffocating the mice.
elles asphyxiaient Elles asphyxiaient les mauvaises pensées. They were suffocating the negative thoughts.

Other Conjugations for Asphyxier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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