Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb augurer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb augurer

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The English translation of the French verb “augurer” is “to augur” or “to predict.” The infinitive form of “augurer” is pronounced as oh-guh-ray.

The verb “augurer” originates from the Latin word “augurare,” which means to predict or to foretell. In everyday French, “augurer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express past predictions, suppositions, or expectations.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Les signes auguraient une victoire certaine. (The signs augured a certain victory.)
  2. Quand il était jeune, il augurait toujours que tout irait bien. (When he was young, he would always predict that everything would turn out fine.)
  3. Nous nous demandions ce que cela augurait pour l’avenir. (We were wondering what it augured for the future.)

Please note that the translations above are approximate, as the verb “augurer” can have various nuances depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of augurer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je augurais J’augurais un avenir radieux. I was predicting a bright future.
tu augurais Tu augurais le succès. You were predicting success.
il augurait Il augurait une bonne nouvelle. He was predicting good news.
elle augurait Elle augurait une victoire. She was predicting a victory.
on augurait On augurait une grande réussite. We were predicting great success.
nous augurions Nous augurions de bonnes choses. We were predicting good things.
vous auguriez Vous auguriez une belle journée. You were predicting a beautiful day.
ils auguraient Ils auguraient des problèmes. They were predicting problems.
elles auguraient Elles auguraient un changement. They were predicting a change.

Other Conjugations for Augurer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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