Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caramboler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caramboler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of caramboler. 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 “caramboler” is “to carom” or “to make a carom shot.” The infinitive form “caramboler” is pronounced as “ka-ram-bo-lay.”

The word “caramboler” derives from the noun “carambole,” which refers to a carom shot in billiards. Its language origin can be traced back to Portuguese and Spanish, where “carambola” means “a type of fruit” and also “carom shot” in billiards. In everyday French, the verb “caramboler” is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe past ongoing actions or habitual activities.

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

  1. Je carambolais souvent les boules de billard. (I used to carom the billiard balls frequently.)
  2. Tu carambolais bien mieux que moi. (You used to carom much better than me.)
  3. Ils carambolaient toujours avant de faire une faute. (They would always carom before making a mistake.)

These examples illustrate how “caramboler” is used in the imparfait tense to describe past repeated actions or habits related to carom shots in billiards.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of caramboler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je carambolais Je carambolais souvent. I used to collide often.
tu carambolais Tu carambolais sans faire attention. You used to collide without paying attention.
il carambolait Il carambolait sur la route. He used to collide on the road.
elle carambolait Elle carambolait souvent avec d’autres voitures. She used to collide frequently with other cars.
on carambolait On carambolait lors des matchs de football. We used to collide during football matches.
nous carambolions Nous carambolions en jouant au billard. We used to collide while playing billiards.
vous caramboliez Vous caramboliez dans le trafic. You used to collide in traffic.
ils carambolaient Ils carambolaient sur la piste de course. They used to collide on the race track.
elles carambolaient Elles carambolaient souvent au bowling. They used to collide frequently while bowling.

Other Conjugations for Caramboler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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