Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caricaturer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caricaturer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of caricaturer. 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 caricaturer is “to caricature” or “to satirize.” The infinitive form “caricaturer” is pronounced as “ka-ree-ka-ty-ray.”

The word “caricaturer” comes from the noun “caricature,” which originated in the Italian language. The Italian word “caricatura” means “exaggeration” or “distortion.” The verb “caricaturer” is used in everyday French to describe the act of producing or creating a caricature, which involves exaggerating certain features or aspects of a person or object for humorous or critical effect.

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

  1. Chaque semaine, il caricaturait la politique avec finesse et ironie.
    (Every week, he used to satirize politics with finesse and irony.)

  2. Pendant des années, ils caricaturaient les personnalités publiques dans leur journal.
    (For years, they used to caricature public figures in their newspaper.)

  3. Quand j’étais jeune, je caricaturais mes professeurs dans mes cahiers.
    (When I was young, I used to caricature my teachers in my notebooks.)

Note: The imparfait tense in French is used to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of caricaturer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je caricaturais Je caricaturais les politiciens. I was caricaturing the politicians.
tu caricaturais Tu caricaturais ton professeur. You were caricaturing your teacher.
il caricaturait Il caricaturait les célébrités. He was caricaturing the celebrities.
elle caricaturait Elle caricaturait les sportifs. She was caricaturing the athletes.
on caricaturait On caricaturait les chefs d’entreprise. We were caricaturing the business leaders.
nous caricaturions Nous caricaturions nos amis. We were caricaturing our friends.
vous caricaturiez Vous caricaturiez les animaux. You were caricaturing the animals.
ils caricaturaient Ils caricaturaient les artistes. They were caricaturing the artists.
elles caricaturaient Elles caricaturaient les écrivains. They were caricaturing the writers.

Other Conjugations for Caricaturer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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