Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attiser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb attiser

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The English translation of the French verb “attiser” is “to stir up” or “to kindle.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “attiser” is [a-tee-zay].

The verb “attiser” comes from the Latin word “attisare,” which means “to kindle” or “to ignite.” It is primarily used in everyday French to express the action of fueling or intensifying something, whether it be a physical fire or metaphorical emotions, conflicts, or tensions.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, mes parents attisaient souvent le feu de cheminée. (When I was a child, my parents would often kindle the fireplace fire.)
  2. Les politiciens attisaient les peurs de la population pour gagner des votes. (Politicians would stir up the fears of the population to gain votes.)
  3. Les ragots attisaient les rivalités entre les voisins. (Gossips would fuel the rivalries between the neighbors.)

These examples illustrate how “attiser” is used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of attiser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je attisais J’attisais le feu. I was stoking the fire.
tu attisais Tu attisais les flammes. You were stirring up the flames.
il attisait Il attisait la colère. He was fueling the anger.
elle attisait Elle attisait les passions. She was arousing passions.
on attisait On attisait les rivalités. We were fanning rivalries.
nous attisions Nous attisions l’enthousiasme. We were igniting enthusiasm.
vous attisiez Vous attisiez la curiosité. You were piquing curiosity.
ils attisaient Ils attisaient les conflits. They were provoking conflicts.
elles attisaient Elles attisaient les sentiments. They were kindling feelings.

Other Conjugations for Attiser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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