Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attifer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb attifer

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The English translation of the French verb “attifer” is “to dress up” or “to deck out.” The infinitive form “attifer” is pronounced as ah-tee-fey.

The word “attifer” originated from the Old French term “atifer” which means “to equip” or “to adorn.” It is commonly used in everyday French to express the action of dressing up or elaborately decorating oneself or something else. It implies the act of putting on clothes or accessories in a particular way to create a desired appearance.

Here are three examples of how “attifer” can be used in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, elle s’attifait avec soin avant d’aller travailler.
    (Every morning, she would dress up carefully before going to work.)

  2. Nous nous attifions toujours élégamment pour les soirées mondaines.
    (We used to dress up elegantly for high society parties.)

  3. Quand j’étais jeune, je m’attifais avec des tenues excentriques.
    (When I was young, I used to dress up in eccentric outfits.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of attifer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je attifais J’attifais toujours bien. I used to dress well.
tu attifais Tu attifais ton chien. You used to dress up your dog.
il attifait Il attifait sa maison. He used to decorate his house.
elle attifait Elle attifait sa chambre. She used to decorate her room.
on attifait On attifait la salle de fête. We used to decorate the party room.
nous attifions Nous attifions la table. We used to dress the table.
vous attifiez Vous attifiez vos enfants. You used to dress up your children.
ils attifaient Ils attifaient le sapin de Noël. They used to decorate the Christmas tree.
elles attifaient Elles attifaient le salon. They used to decorate the living room.

Other Conjugations for Attifer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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