Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb avouer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb avouer

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The English translation of the French verb “avouer” is “to admit” or “to confess.” The infinitive form of “avouer” is pronounced as “ah-voo-eh.”

The word “avouer” originated from the Latin word “advocare,” which means “to call to one’s aid” or “to acknowledge.” In everyday French, “avouer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is the imperfect past tense used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of how “avouer” is used in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Je t’avouais mes secrets.
    (I used to admit my secrets to you.)
  2. Il avouait toujours ses erreurs.
    (He would always confess his mistakes.)
  3. Elle nous avouait son amour.
    (She would admit her love to us.)

In these examples, “avouer” is used to describe a repeated or ongoing action in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of avouer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je avouais J’avouais mes erreurs. I was admitting my mistakes.
tu avouais Tu avouais la vérité. You were confessing the truth.
il avouait Il avouait ses sentiments. He was admitting his feelings.
elle avouait Elle avouait ses peurs. She was confessing her fears.
on avouait On avouait nos secrets. We were confessing our secrets.
nous avouions Nous avouions nos intentions. We were admitting our intentions.
vous avouiez Vous avouiez vos fautes. You were confessing your faults.
ils avouaient Ils avouaient leurs mensonges. They were admitting their lies.
elles avouaient Elles avouaient leurs erreurs. They were confessing their mistakes.

Other Conjugations for Avouer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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