Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb assener

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb assener

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The English translation of the French verb “assener” is “to deliver” or “to deal”. The infinitive form “assener” is pronounced as [a.sə.ne].

The word “assener” originated from the Old French verb “asener”, which came from the Latin word “adsinare” meaning “to assign” or “to appoint”. Over time, its meaning evolved and it came to signify “to deliver” or “to deal” in French.

In everyday French, the verb “assener” is often used in the imparfait tense to describe repeated or ongoing actions in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:

  1. Je lui assenais des coups de poing tous les jours.
    (I would deliver punches to him every day.)
  2. Le professeur leur assenait des critiques constantes.
    (The teacher would constantly deal them criticisms.)
  3. Nous assenions de lourdes charges sur nos épaules.
    (We would bear heavy loads on our shoulders.)

These examples demonstrate how “assener” is used in the imparfait tense to describe actions that occurred repeatedly or continuously in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of assener

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je assenais J’assenais mes arguments. I was asserting my arguments.
tu assenais Tu assenais ta force. You were exerting your strength.
il assenait Il assenait ses critiques. He was delivering his criticisms.
elle assenait Elle assenait des coups. She was dealing blows.
on assenait On assenait des reproches. We were making reproaches.
nous assénions Nous assénions nos opinions. We were asserting our opinions.
vous asseniez Vous asseniez vos paroles. You were uttering your words.
ils assenaient Ils assenaient des attaques. They were launching attacks.
elles assenaient Elles assenaient des coups de pied. They were delivering kicks.

Other Conjugations for Assener.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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