Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carburer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carburer

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The English translation of the French verb “carburer” is “to run on all cylinders” or “to function at full capacity.” The infinitive form “carburer” is pronounced as “kar-byuh-rey.”

The verb “carburer” comes from the noun “carburant,” meaning “fuel.” It is derived from the Latin word “carbo,” which means “coal.” In everyday French, “carburer” is often used to describe a person, machine, or organization operating efficiently or performing at their best.

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

  1. Nous carburions tous les jours pour réussir notre projet.
    (We were running on all cylinders every day to succeed in our project.)

  2. Pendant mon adolescence, je carburais aux jeux vidéo.
    (During my adolescence, I was functioning at full capacity with video games.)

  3. L’équipe de football carburaient lors des matchs importants.
    (The football team was operating efficiently during important matches.)

In each of these examples, the verb “carburer” is used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or habitual action in the past, highlighting the idea of consistent functioning or performance.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of carburer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je carburais Je carburais à l’essence. I was running on gasoline.
tu carburais Tu carburais au diesel. You were running on diesel.
il carburait Il carburait au gaz. He was running on gas.
elle carburait Elle carburait à l’électricité. She was running on electricity.
on carburait On carburait au biogaz. We were running on biogas.
nous carburions Nous carburions au super. We were running on premium.
vous carburiez Vous carburiez au GPL. You were running on LPG.
ils carburaient Ils carburaient à l’hydrogène. They were running on hydrogen.
elles carburaient Elles carburaient au propane. They were running on propane.

Other Conjugations for Carburer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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