Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cambuter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cambuter

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The English translation of the French verb “cambuter” is “to hang out” or “to chill.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “cambuter” is as follows: /kɑ̃.by.te/.

The word “cambuter” is a slang term derived from the French word “campagne,” meaning “countryside.” It originates from the Parisian suburbs, specifically from the banlieue culture. In everyday French, “cambuter” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe spending time idly, relaxing, or casually hanging out with friends.

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

  1. Nous cambutions à la plage tous les après-midis.
    (We used to hang out at the beach every afternoon.)

  2. Tu cambutais souvent chez moi le week-end.
    (You would hang out at my place often on weekends.)

  3. Mes amis et moi cambutions dans le parc tous les jours.
    (My friends and I would chill in the park every day.)

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

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cambuter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cambutais Je cambutais souvent. I used to drive often.
tu cambutais Tu cambutais lentement. You used to drive slowly.
il cambutait Il cambutait prudemment. He used to drive cautiously.
elle cambutait Elle cambutait avec précaution. She used to drive carefully.
on cambutait On cambutait de nuit. We used to drive at night.
nous cambutions Nous cambutions en silence. We used to drive in silence.
vous cambutiez Vous cambutiez rapidement. You used to drive quickly.
ils cambutaient Ils cambutaient en ville. They used to drive in the city.
elles cambutaient Elles cambutaient souvent ensemble. They used to drive together often.

Other Conjugations for Cambuter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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