Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb autocensurer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb autocensurer

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The English translation of the French verb “autocensurer” is “to self-censor.” The infinitive form of “autocensurer” is pronounced as oh-toh-sahn-suh-ray.

“Autocensurer” is a compound verb in French, formed by combining the prefix “auto-” (meaning self) and the verb “censurer” (meaning to censor). It refers to the act of censoring oneself, usually by refraining from saying or expressing certain thoughts, opinions, or ideas.

In everyday French, “autocensurer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense. The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je m’autocensurais souvent lors des réunions politiques.
    (I used to self-censor often during political meetings.)

  2. Tu t’autocensurais dès que le sujet devenait délicat.
    (You used to self-censor as soon as the subject became delicate.)

  3. Nous nous autocensionsurions par peur des répercussions.
    (We used to self-censor out of fear of repercussions.)

These examples illustrate how “autocensurer” is used to describe the recurring action of self-censorship in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of autocensurer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’autocensurais Je m’autocensurais pour éviter les ennuis. I was self-censoring to avoid trouble.
tu t’autocensurais Tu t’autocensurais par peur de jugement. You were self-censoring out of fear of judgment.
il s’autocensurait Il s’autocensurait pour ne pas offenser. He was self-censoring to not offend.
elle s’autocensurait Elle s’autocensurait pour préserver la paix. She was self-censoring to maintain peace.
on s’autocensurait On s’autocensurait par prudence. We were self-censoring out of caution.
nous nous autocensurions Nous nous autocensurions pour éviter les problèmes. We were self-censoring to avoid problems.
vous vous autocensuriez Vous vous autocensuriez pour sauvegarder votre réputation. You were self-censoring to preserve your reputation.
ils s’autocensuraient Ils s’autocensuraient pour préserver l’harmonie. They were self-censoring to maintain harmony.
elles s’autocensuraient Elles s’autocensuraient pour éviter les conflits. They were self-censoring to avoid conflicts.

Other Conjugations for Autocensurer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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