Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Introduction to the verb attirer
The English translation of the French verb “attirer” is “to attract”. The infinitive form of “attirer” is pronounced as [a-tee-ray].
“Attirer” comes from the Old French word “atirier”, which itself comes from the Latin word “attrahere”, meaning “to draw, pull”. In everyday French, “attirer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is the past tense used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.
Here are three examples of “attirer” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Nous attirions beaucoup de touristes dans notre petite ville. (We used to attract a lot of tourists to our small town.)
- Elle attirait toujours l’attention avec ses tenues colorées. (She was always attracting attention with her colorful outfits.)
- Les odeurs alléchantes de la boulangerie attiraient les passants. (The enticing smells from the bakery were attracting passersby.)
Note: The translations provided are not literal, but rather aim to convey the meaning of the sentence in English.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of attirer
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | attirais | J’attirais l’attention. | I was attracting attention. |
tu | attirais | Tu attirais les regards. | You were attracting attention. |
il | attirait | Il attirait les foules. | He was attracting crowds. |
elle | attirait | Elle attirait les clients. | She was attracting customers. |
on | attirait | On attirait les touristes. | We were attracting tourists. |
nous | attirions | Nous attirions l’admiration. | We were attracting admiration. |
vous | attiriez | Vous attiriez les compliments. | You were attracting compliments. |
ils | attiraient | Ils attiraient l’attention. | They were attracting attention. |
elles | attiraient | Elles attiraient les paparazzi. | They were attracting paparazzi. |
Other Conjugations for Attirer.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
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Attirer – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb attirer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!