Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb autodéterminer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb autodéterminer

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The English translation of the French verb “autodéterminer” is “to self-determine” or “to determine oneself.” The infinitive form “autodéterminer” is pronounced as [oh-toe-day-ter-mee-nay].

“Autodéterminer” is a compound verb formed from the prefix “auto-” meaning “self” and the verb “déterminer” meaning “to determine.” It is used to express the idea of individuals determining or deciding for themselves, asserting their independence or autonomy.

In everyday French, the verb “autodéterminer” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It can convey a sense of self-discovery, personal growth, or the development of one’s identity.

Here are three simple examples of “autodéterminer” used in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Je m’autodéterminais en pratiquant différentes formes d’art.
    (I was self-determining myself by practicing different forms of art.)
  2. Tu t’autodéterminais en explorant tes propres valeurs et croyances.
    (You were self-determining yourself by exploring your own values and beliefs.)
  3. Ils s’autodéterminaient en refusant de se conformer aux normes sociales établies.
    (They were self-determining themselves by refusing to conform to established social norms.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of autodéterminer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’autodéterminais Je m’autodéterminais tous les jours. I was self-determining every day.
tu t’autodéterminais Tu t’autodéterminais avec confiance. You were self-determining confidently.
il s’autodéterminait Il s’autodéterminait sans contrainte. He was self-determining without constraint.
elle s’autodéterminait Elle s’autodéterminait dans sa carrière. She was self-determining in her career.
on s’autodéterminait On s’autodéterminait collectivement. We were self-determining collectively.
nous nous autodéterminions Nous nous autodéterminions librement. We were self-determining freely.
vous vous autodéterminiez Vous vous autodéterminiez avec conviction. You were self-determining with conviction.
ils s’autodéterminaient Ils s’autodéterminaient en groupe. They were self-determining as a group.
elles s’autodéterminaient Elles s’autodéterminaient indépendamment. They were self-determining independently.

Other Conjugations for Autodéterminer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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