Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cannibaliser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cannibaliser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of cannibaliser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “cannibaliser” is “to cannibalize.” The infinitive form “cannibaliser” is pronounced as “ka-nee-ba-lee-zay.”

The verb “cannibaliser” comes from the noun “cannibale” (cannibal) and the suffix “-iser” which is used to form verbs. In everyday French, “cannibaliser” is often used metaphorically to mean taking parts or resources from one thing to benefit or support another thing.

Here are three examples of “cannibaliser” in the imparfait tense and their English translations:

  1. Nous cannibalisions les vieux ordinateurs pour réparer les nouveaux.
    (We were cannibalizing old computers to fix the new ones.)

  2. Ils cannibalisaient leurs propres ventes en proposant des prix plus bas.
    (They were cannibalizing their own sales by offering lower prices.)

  3. Les grandes entreprises cannibalisent souvent les petites entreprises concurrentes.
    (Big companies often cannibalize smaller competing businesses.)

Please note that these translations aim to convey the meaning of the sentences, but the context may require slight variations.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cannibaliser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cannibalisais Je cannibalisais mes propres idées. I was cannibalizing my own ideas.
tu cannibalisais Tu cannibalisais le marché. You were cannibalizing the market.
il cannibalisait Il cannibalisait les ressources de l’entreprise. He was cannibalizing the company’s resources.
elle cannibalisait Elle cannibalisait ses propres produits. She was cannibalizing her own products.
on cannibalisait On cannibalisait les autres équipes. We were cannibalizing the other teams.
nous cannibalisions Nous cannibalisions nos concurrents. We were cannibalizing our competitors.
vous cannibalisiez Vous cannibalisiez le secteur. You were cannibalizing the sector.
ils cannibalisaient Ils cannibalisaient leurs propres efforts. They were cannibalizing their own efforts.
elles cannibalisaient Elles cannibalisaient les petites entreprises. They were cannibalizing small businesses.

Other Conjugations for Cannibaliser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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