Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attabler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb attabler

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The English translation of the French verb “attabler” is “to sit at the table” or “to gather around the table.” The infinitive form “attabler” is pronounced as ah-tah-bleh.

The word “attabler” comes from the Old French term “atabler,” which means “to lay down a table.” It originates from the Latin word “tabula,” meaning “table.” In everyday French, “attabler” is commonly used to refer to the action of sitting or gathering around a table, usually for a meal or a meeting.

Examples of “attabler” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, nous nous attablions ensemble pour dîner.
    (Every evening, we would sit at the table together for dinner.)

  2. Quand j’étais enfant, mes parents m’attablaient avec mes frères et sœurs pour le déjeuner.
    (When I was a child, my parents would sit me with my siblings at the table for lunch.)

  3. Pendant les vacances, ils s’attablaient souvent avec leurs amis pour partager un bon repas.
    (During the holidays, they would often gather around the table with their friends to share a good meal.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of attabler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je attablais J’attablais les invités. I was seating the guests.
tu attablais Tu attablais tout le monde. You were seating everyone.
il attablait Il attablait les clients. He was seating the customers.
elle attablait Elle attablait les enfants. She was seating the children.
on attablait On attablait les nouveaux arrivants. We were seating the newcomers.
nous attablions Nous attablions les invités. We were seating the guests.
vous attabliez Vous attabliez les clients. You were seating the customers.
ils attablaient Ils attablaient les enfants. They were seating the children.
elles attablaient Elles attablaient les nouveaux arrivants. They were seating the newcomers.

Other Conjugations for Attabler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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