Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb avaler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb avaler

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The English translation of the French verb “avaler” is “to swallow.” The infinitive form, “avaler,” is pronounced as [a.va.le].

“Avaler” comes from the Latin word “abvalere,” meaning “to abate” or “to subside.” In everyday French, “avaler” is commonly used to refer to the act of swallowing food or liquid. It can also be used metaphorically to mean “to gulp down” or “to believe something without questioning.”

Examples of “avaler” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque soir, je mangeais tellement rapidement que j’avaleais ma nourriture sans la savourer.
    (Every evening, I would eat so quickly that I would swallow my food without savoring it.)

  2. Quand j’étais enfant, je prenais toujours un verre d’eau après avoir avalé mes médicaments.
    (When I was a child, I would always have a glass of water after swallowing my medication.)

  3. Les enfants avalaient leur soupe sans se plaindre.
    (The children would swallow their soup without complaining.)

English translations:

  1. Every evening, I would eat so quickly that I would swallow my food without savoring it.
  2. When I was a child, I would always have a glass of water after swallowing my medication.
  3. The children would swallow their soup without complaining.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of avaler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je avalais J’avalais une pilule. I was swallowing a pill.
tu avalais Tu avalais ton repas. You were eating your meal.
il avalait Il avalait sa salive. He was swallowing his saliva.
elle avalait Elle avalait un bonbon. She was eating a candy.
on avalait On avalait une bouchée. We were taking a bite.
nous avalions Nous avalions nos médicaments. We were taking our medications.
vous avaliez Vous avaliez votre boisson. You were drinking your beverage.
ils avalaient Ils avalaient leur nourriture. They were eating their food.
elles avalaient Elles avalaient des comprimés. They were swallowing pills.

Other Conjugations for Avaler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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