Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cadrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cadrer

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The English translation of the French verb “cadrer” is “to frame” or “to fit.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “cadrer” is [ka-dʁe].

The word “cadrer” comes from the Latin word “quadrare,” which means “to square” or “to fit.” In everyday French, “cadrer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past. It expresses a continuous or habitual action in the past.

Here are three examples of how “cadrer” is used in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque année, la fête d’anniversaire de mon frère cadr ait avec la venue de nos cousins.
    (Each year, my brother’s birthday party would fit with the arrival of our cousins.)
    This example suggests that every year, the arrival of the cousins would match or coincide with the celebration of the brother’s birthday.

  2. Pendant mes études, mes cours cadr aient parfaitement avec mon emploi du temps.
    (During my studies, my classes would perfectly fit with my schedule.)
    Here, the sentence implies that the classes would fit well or match perfectly with the speaker’s timetable during their studies.

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, mes rêves cadr aient toujours avec la réalité.
    (When I was a child, my dreams would always align with reality.)
    This example indicates that during the speaker’s childhood, their dreams would consistently match or correspond with reality.

The imparfait tense is used to describe past habits, ongoing actions in the past, or to provide background information in narratives.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cadrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cadrerais Je cadrerais les photos. I would frame the pictures.
tu cadrerais Tu cadrerais la vidéo. You would frame the video.
il cadrerait Il cadrerait la scène. He would frame the scene.
elle cadrerait Elle cadrerait les acteurs. She would frame the actors.
on cadrerait On cadrerait les paysages. We would frame the landscapes.
nous cadrerions Nous cadrerions le tableau. We would frame the painting.
vous cadreriez Vous cadreriez les images. You would frame the images.
ils cadreraient Ils cadreraient les moments clés. They would frame the key moments.
elles cadreraient Elles cadreraient les portraits. They would frame the portraits.

Other Conjugations for Cadrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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