Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb avarier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb avarier

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of avarier. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “avarier” is “to damage” or “to impair.” The infinitive form “avarié” is pronounced as “a-va-ree-ey.”

The verb “avarié” originates from the Old French word “avarier,” which is derived from the Latin word “avarus” meaning “greedy” or “covetous.” In everyday French, “avarié” is used in the imperfect tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It often refers to the act of damaging or impairing something over a period of time.

Examples of “avarié” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, j’avariais souvent mes jouets en les jetant par terre.
    (When I was a child, I would often damage my toys by throwing them on the ground.)

  2. Le temps et l’humidité avariaient progressivement les murs de la vieille maison.
    (Time and humidity were gradually damaging the walls of the old house.)

  3. Pendant la guerre, les bombardements avariaient régulièrement les infrastructures de la ville.
    (During the war, the bombings would regularly impair the city’s infrastructure.)

English translations:

  1. When I was a child, I used to damage my toys by throwing them on the ground.
  2. Time and humidity were gradually impairing the walls of the old house.
  3. During the war, the bombings would regularly damage the city’s infrastructure.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of avarier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je avariais J’avariais souvent mes vêtements. I used to damage my clothes often.
tu avariais Tu avariais la machine. You used to damage the machine.
il avariait Il avariait son téléphone. He used to damage his phone.
elle avariait Elle avariait sa voiture. She used to damage her car.
on avariait On avariait les marchandises. We used to damage the goods.
nous avariions Nous avariions les aliments. We used to damage the food.
vous avariez Vous avariez les documents. You used to damage the documents.
ils avariaient Ils avariaient les appareils électroniques. They used to damage the electronic devices.
elles avariaient Elles avariaient leurs jouets. They used to damage their toys.

Other Conjugations for Avarier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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