Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cantiner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cantiner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of cantiner. 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 “cantiner” is “to pack a lunch” or “to put food in a container.”

The pronunciation of the infinitive form “cantiner” is [kahn-tee-nay].

The French verb “cantiner” originates from the noun “cantine,” which means “canteen” or “mess hall.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of preparing or packing food in a container for later consumption, especially when going on a trip or to work/school.

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

  1. Chaque matin, je cantinais pour mes enfants avant qu’ils aillent à l’école.
    (Every morning, I used to pack a lunch for my children before they would go to school.)

  2. Quand j’étais étudiant, je cantinais régulièrement pour économiser de l’argent.
    (When I was a student, I used to pack a lunch regularly to save money.)

  3. Pendant les vacances, nous cantinions pour éviter de dépenser trop d’argent au restaurant.
    (During the holidays, we used to pack a lunch to avoid spending too much money at the restaurant.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cantiner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cantinais Je cantinais tous les jours. I used to eat at the canteen every day.
tu cantinais Tu cantinais avec tes amis. You used to eat at the canteen with your friends.
il cantinait Il cantinait à l’école. He used to eat at the canteen at school.
elle cantinait Elle cantinait des plats délicieux. She used to cook delicious dishes at the canteen.
on cantinait On cantinait ensemble. We used to eat at the canteen together.
nous cantinions Nous cantinions pendant la pause déjeuner. We used to eat at the canteen during lunch break.
vous cantiniez Vous cantiniez avec vos collègues. You used to eat at the canteen with your colleagues.
ils cantinaient Ils cantinaient au travail. They used to eat at the canteen at work.
elles cantinaient Elles cantinaient des repas équilibrés. They used to eat balanced meals at the canteen.

Other Conjugations for Cantiner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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