Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb camper

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb camper

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The English translation of the French verb “camper” is “to camp.” The infinitive form “camper” is pronounced as /kɑ̃.pe/.

“Camper” is derived from the Latin word “campāre,” meaning to set up a camp. It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the activity of camping or staying in a tent or camper in the great outdoors.

Here are three examples of how “camper” is used in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Pendant les vacances, nous campions toujours près de la mer.
    (During vacations, we always used to camp near the sea.)

  2. Quand j’étais jeune, je campais avec mes amis chaque été.
    (When I was young, I used to camp with my friends every summer.)

  3. Les enfants adoraient camper dans la forêt lorsque nous partions en famille.
    (The children loved camping in the forest when we went on family trips.)

These examples showcase the use of “camper” in describing habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of camper

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je campais Je campais dans la forêt. I was camping in the forest.
tu campais Tu campais près de la rivière. You were camping by the river.
il campait Il campait avec ses amis. He was camping with his friends.
elle campait Elle campait dans une tente. She was camping in a tent.
on campait On campait sous les étoiles. We were camping under the stars.
nous campions Nous campions en montagne. We were camping in the mountains.
vous campiez Vous campiez près du lac. You were camping near the lake.
ils campaient Ils campaient près de la plage. They were camping near the beach.
elles campaient Elles campaient dans la forêt tropicale. They were camping in the rainforest.

Other Conjugations for Camper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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