Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb avoyer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb avoyer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of avoyer. 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 “avoyer” is “to bay” or “to bray” (referring to the sound made by a dog or a donkey). The infinitive form of “avoyer” is pronounced as “ah-vwah-yay.”

The verb “avoyer” comes from the Old French word “avoier,” meaning “to cry out” or “to send forth a loud sound.” It is most commonly used in every day French in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Three examples of “avoyer” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations are:

  1. Chaque nuit, les chiens avoyaient dans le quartier.
    Translation: Every night, the dogs were baying in the neighborhood.

  2. Quand j’étais petit, l’âne de mon grand-père avoyait sans cesse.
    Translation: When I was little, my grandfather’s donkey was constantly braying.

  3. Pendant la chasse, les meutes d’hounds avoyaient dans les bois.
    Translation: During the hunt, the packs of hounds were baying in the woods.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of avoyer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je avoyais J’avoyais mes lettres. I was sending my letters.
tu avoyais Tu avoyais ton courrier. You were sending your mail.
il avoyait Il avoyait ses colis. He was sending his packages.
elle avoyait Elle avoyait ses commandes. She was sending her orders.
on avoyait On avoyait nos paquets. We were sending our packages.
nous avoyions Nous avoyions nos factures. We were sending our invoices.
vous avoyiez Vous avoyiez vos messages. You were sending your messages.
ils avoyaient Ils avoyaient leurs documents. They were sending their documents.
elles avoyaient Elles avoyaient leurs lettres. They were sending their letters.

Other Conjugations for Avoyer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the avoyer imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply