Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb assassiner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb assassiner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of assassiner. 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 “assassiner” is “to assassinate” or “to murder”. The infinitive form “assassiner” is pronounced as /a.sa.si.ne/.

The word “assassiner” originates from the Latin word “assassinare”, which means “to kill”, and it entered the French language during the Middle Ages. In everyday French, “assassiner” is used to refer to the act of deliberately and unlawfully killing someone with premeditation.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je rêvais d’assassiner les méchants dans mes jeux imaginaires.
    (When I was a child, I used to dream of assassinating the villains in my imaginary games.)

  2. Le tueur en série avait assassiné plusieurs personnes avant d’être arrêté.
    (The serial killer had murdered several people before being arrested.)

  3. Pendant la guerre, de nombreux innocents étaient assassinés sans raison apparente.
    (During the war, many innocent people were being assassinated for no apparent reason.)

Note: It’s important to mention that the verb “assassiner” addresses a serious and grave topic.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of assassiner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je assassinais J’assassinais le roi. I was assassinating the king.
tu assassinais Tu assassinais un innocent. You were assassinating an innocent person.
il assassinait Il assassinait ses ennemis. He was assassinating his enemies.
elle assassinait Elle assassinait pour de l’argent. She was assassinating for money.
on assassinait On assassinait en secret. We were assassinating in secret.
nous assassinions Nous assassinions les traîtres. We were assassinating the traitors.
vous assassiniez Vous assassiniez sans pitié. You were assassinating mercilessly.
ils assassinaient Ils assassinaient pour le pouvoir. They were assassinating for power.
elles assassinaient Elles assassinaient en équipe. They were assassinating as a team.

Other Conjugations for Assassiner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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