Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb avitailler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb avitailler

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The English translation of the French verb avitailler is “to provision” or “to supply”. The infinitive form of avitailler is pronounced as “ah-vee-tah-yay.”

The word avitailler originates from the Old French word “avitailler,” which was derived from the Latin word “victualis,” meaning “provisions.” In everyday French, avitailler is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of avitailler used in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Nous avitaillions le bateau tous les matins.
    (We used to provision the boat every morning.)

  2. Pendant la guerre, ils avitaillaient la ville régulièrement.
    (During the war, they would regularly supply the city.)

  3. Je l’avitaillais en nourriture et en bois chaque semaine.
    (I used to provide him with food and wood every week.)

In these examples, avitailler is used to express the ongoing or repeated action of provisioning or supplying in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of avitailler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je avitaillais J’avitaillais le bateau. I was supplying the boat.
tu avitaillais Tu avitaillais la cuisine. You were stocking the kitchen.
il avitaillait Il avitaillait le marché. He was provisioning the market.
elle avitaillait Elle avitaillait le magasin. She was supplying the store.
on avitaillait On avitaillait le village. We were supplying the village.
nous avitaillions Nous avitaillions le campement. We were provisioning the camp.
vous avitailliez Vous avitailliez le restaurant. You were stocking the restaurant.
ils avitaillaient Ils avitaillaient l’équipe. They were supplying the team.
elles avitaillaient Elles avitaillaient le refuge. They were provisioning the shelter.

Other Conjugations for Avitailler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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