Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canaliser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb canaliser

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The English translation of the French verb “canaliser” is “to channel” or “to direct.” The infinitive form, “canaliser,” is pronounced as kah-nah-lee-zay.

The word “canaliser” comes from the French noun “canal” meaning “channel” or “canal.” It originates from the Latin word “canalis,” which has a similar meaning. In everyday French, “canaliser” is most often used in the imparfait tense, which is the past tense used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:

  1. Je canalisais mes émotions pour rester calme. (I used to channel my emotions to stay calm.)
  2. Il canalisait ses efforts dans la création de son entreprise. (He used to direct his efforts into building his company.)
  3. Nous canalisions notre passion vers des causes humanitaires. (We used to channel our passion into humanitarian causes.)

In these examples, “canaliser” is used to describe the action of directing or channeling something, whether it’s emotions, efforts, or passion, in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of canaliser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je canalisais Je canalisais mes émotions. I was channeling my emotions.
tu canalisais Tu canalisais ton énergie. You were channeling your energy.
il canalisait Il canalisait sa colère. He was channeling his anger.
elle canalisait Elle canalisait son stress. She was channeling her stress.
on canalisait On canalisait nos forces. We were channeling our strengths.
nous canalisions Nous canalisions notre créativité. We were channeling our creativity.
vous canalisiez Vous canalisiez votre attention. You were channeling your attention.
ils canalisaient Ils canalisaient leur puissance. They were channeling their power.
elles canalisaient Elles canalisaient leur passion. They were channeling their passion.

Other Conjugations for Canaliser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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