Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cabaner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cabaner

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The English translation of the French verb “cabaner” is “to stay in a cabin” or “to shack up.” The infinitive form of “cabaner” is pronounced as [ka-ba-ney].

The word “cabaner” originates from the noun “cabane,” which means “cabin” or “shack.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing action or state in the past. This tense is used to set the scene, describe background information, or express habitual actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “cabaner” used in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je cabanais toujours pendant les vacances d’été.
    (When I was young, I would always stay in a cabin during summer vacations.)

  2. Nous cabanions dans une petite maison au bord du lac.
    (We were shacking up in a small house by the lake.)

  3. Pendant l’hiver, ils cabanaient dans les montagnes pour skier.
    (During winter, they used to stay in a cabin in the mountains to go skiing.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cabaner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cabanais Je cabanais dans la forêt. I was camping in the forest.
tu cabanais Tu cabanais souvent. You were camping often.
il cabanait Il cabanait avec ses amis. He was camping with his friends.
elle cabanait Elle cabanait près de la rivière. She was camping near the river.
on cabanait On cabanait en montagne. We were camping in the mountains.
nous cabanions Nous cabanions en famille. We were camping as a family.
vous cabaniez Vous cabaniez dans la région. You were camping in the region.
ils cabanaient Ils cabanaient au bord du lac. They were camping by the lake.
elles cabanaient Elles cabanaient dans la forêt tropicale. They were camping in the rainforest.

Other Conjugations for Cabaner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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