Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cadancher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cadancher

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The English translation of the French verb “cadancher” is “to fit” or “to match.” The infinitive form of “cadancher” is pronounced as [ka-dahn-shey].

The verb “cadancher” has its origins in the French language and is often used in everyday French to express the idea of something fitting or matching with something else. It is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The imparfait tense indicates actions that used to happen or were in progress in the past.

Here are three examples of “cadancher” in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, mes chaussettes cadanchaient toujours avec mes chaussures.
    (When I was a child, my socks always matched my shoes.)

  2. Les couleurs de sa tenue ne cadanchaient jamais avec celles de sa coiffure.
    (The colors of her outfit never matched those of her hairstyle.)

  3. Nous passions des heures à essayer de faire en sorte que les pièces du puzzle cadanchaient parfaitement.
    (We spent hours trying to make sure the puzzle pieces fit perfectly.)

Please note that these translations are approximate and may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cadancher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cadanchais Je cadanchais vers la maison. I used to walk towards the house.
tu cadanchais Tu cadanchais rapidement. You used to walk quickly.
il cadanchait Il cadanchait lentement. He used to walk slowly.
elle cadanchait Elle cadanchait avec élégance. She used to walk with elegance.
on cadanchait On cadanchait en silence. We used to walk in silence.
nous cadanchions Nous cadanchions ensemble. We used to walk together.
vous cadanchiez Vous cadanchiez sans hésitation. You used to walk without hesitation.
ils cadanchaient Ils cadanchaient en chantant. They used to walk while singing.
elles cadanchaient Elles cadanchaient joyeusement. They used to walk cheerfully.

Other Conjugations for Cadancher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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