Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calandrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calandrer

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The English translation of the French verb “calandrer” is “to calender” or “to roll out.” The infinitive form “calandrer” is pronounced as [ka-lɑ̃.dʁe].

The word “calandrer” comes from the Middle Dutch word “kalandere,” which means “to press or smooth.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and initially meant “to press or smooth fabric with a calender,” which is a machine used in the textile industry.

In everyday French, the verb “calandrer” is most often used in the imparfait tense when referring to past habitual or ongoing actions. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, elle calandrait le tissu avant de le couper.
    (Every morning, she would calender the fabric before cutting it.)

  2. Quand j’étais enfant, mon père calandrait le papier pour faire des affiches.
    (When I was a child, my father would calender the paper to make posters.)

  3. Nous calandrions les feuilles de métal pour en améliorer la texture.
    (We would calender the metal sheets to improve their texture.)

Note: Please keep in mind that the examples provided are in the imparfait tense, which expresses ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The specific context of usage may vary the translation slightly.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of calandrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je calandrais Je calandrais le tissu. I was calendaring the fabric.
tu calandrais Tu calandrais les feuilles. You were calendaring the sheets.
il calandrait Il calandrait le papier. He was calendaring the paper.
elle calandrait Elle calandrait les vêtements. She was calendaring the clothes.
on calandrait On calandrait le métal. We were calendaring the metal.
nous calandrions Nous calandrions les rouleaux. We were calendaring the rolls.
vous calandriez Vous calandriez les matériaux. You were calendaring the materials.
ils calandraient Ils calandraient les plaques. They were calendaring the plates.
elles calandraient Elles calandraient les surfaces. They were calendaring the surfaces.

Other Conjugations for Calandrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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