Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb atteler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb atteler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of atteler. 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 “atteler” is “to harness” or “to yoke.” The infinitive form of “atteler” is pronounced as “ah-teh-leh.”

“Atteler” comes from the Old French word “atel” which meant “a workshop” or “a place where work is done.” It is derived from the Latin word “stellum” which means “a star” or “a point.” In everyday French, “atteler” is commonly used to refer to the action of yoking or harnessing animals to a vehicle or a plow.

Here are three simple examples of how “atteler” is used in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque matin, mon grand-père attelait les chevaux avant de partir travailler.
    Translation: Every morning, my grandfather would harness the horses before leaving for work.

  2. Pendant les vacances, nous attelions le cheval à la charrette pour aller faire une promenade.
    Translation: During the holidays, we would yoke the horse to the cart to go for a ride.

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, nous attelions les bœufs pour labourer les champs.
    Translation: When I was a child, we would harness the oxen to plow the fields.

In all these examples, the verb “atteler” is used in the imparfait tense to describe past actions that were habitual or ongoing.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of atteler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je attelais J’attelais les chevaux. I was harnessing the horses.
tu attelais Tu attelais le chariot. You were hitching the cart.
il attelait Il attelait les bœufs. He was yoking the oxen.
elle attelait Elle attelait les animaux. She was attaching the animals.
on attelait On attelait la carriole. We were hooking up the wagon.
nous attelions Nous attelions le tracteur. We were hitching up the tractor.
vous atteliez Vous atteliez les chiens. You were harnessing the dogs.
ils attelaient Ils attelaient les rennes. They were harnessing the reindeer.
elles attelaient Elles attelaient les mules. They were hitching the mules.

Other Conjugations for Atteler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the atteler imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply