Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cadoter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cadoter

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The English translation of the French verb “cadoter” is “to bark.” The infinitive form of “cadoter” is pronounced as “ka-doh-tey.”

The origin of the verb “cadoter” comes from the onomatopoeic word “cado,” which imitates the sound of a dog barking. “Cadoter” is most commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of barking, particularly referring to the sound made by dogs.

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

  1. Chaque nuit, le chien du voisin cadotait pendant des heures.
    (Every night, the neighbor’s dog used to bark for hours.)

  2. Quand j’étais enfant, notre chien cadotait dès que quelqu’un s’approchait de la maison.
    (When I was a child, our dog would bark whenever someone approached the house.)

  3. Pendant la soirée, les chiens du quartier cadotaient sans cesse.
    (During the evening, the dogs in the neighborhood were constantly barking.)

Note: The imparfait tense is used to describe past habitual actions or ongoing states in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cadoter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cadotais Je cadotais tous les ans. I used to give presents every year.
tu cadotais Tu cadotais à tes amis. You used to give presents to your friends.
il cadotait Il cadotait beaucoup. He used to give a lot of presents.
elle cadotait Elle cadotait avec joie. She used to give presents with joy.
on cadotait On cadotait en famille. We used to give presents as a family.
nous cadotions Nous cadotions ensemble. We used to give presents together.
vous cadotiez Vous cadotiez généreusement. You used to give presents generously.
ils cadotaient Ils cadotaient à Noël. They used to give presents at Christmas.
elles cadotaient Elles cadotaient aux anniversaires. They used to give presents at birthdays.

Other Conjugations for Cadoter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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