Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caoutchouter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caoutchouter

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The English translation of the French verb “caoutchouter” is “to rubberize.” The infinitive form of caoutchouter is pronounced as “ko-shoo-tey.”

The word “caoutchouter” originated from the French noun “caoutchouc,” which means “rubber.” The verb is formed by adding the suffix “-er” to the noun, which is a common way of forming verbs in French.

In everyday French, the verb “caoutchouter” is not frequently used in the imparfait tense. However, it can be used to describe the action of applying rubber or a rubber-like material to an object. This can be in the context of coating or protecting objects with rubber.

Here are three simple examples of the verb “caoutchouter” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Nous caoutchoutions les bords de la boîte. (We were rubberizing the edges of the box.)
  2. Tu caoutchoutais les poignées des outils. (You were rubberizing the handles of the tools.)
  3. Ils/Elles caoutchoutaient les semelles des chaussures. (They were rubberizing the shoe soles.)

Note: The English translations provided are in the simple past tense, as the imparfait tense in French often corresponds to the simple past tense in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of caoutchouter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je caoutchoutais Je caoutchoutais les pneus. I used to rubberize the tires.
tu caoutchoutais Tu caoutchoutais les objets. You used to rubberize objects.
il caoutchoutait Il caoutchoutait les surfaces. He used to rubberize surfaces.
elle caoutchoutait Elle caoutchoutait les joints. She used to rubberize joints.
on caoutchoutait On caoutchoutait les câbles. We used to rubberize cables.
nous caoutchoutions Nous caoutchoutions les matériaux. We used to rubberize materials.
vous caoutchoutiez Vous caoutchoutiez les produits. You used to rubberize products.
ils caoutchoutaient Ils caoutchoutaient les pièces. They used to rubberize parts.
elles caoutchoutaient Elles caoutchoutaient les surfaces. They used to rubberize surfaces.

Other Conjugations for Caoutchouter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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