Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carier

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of carier. 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 “carier” is “to carry”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “ka-rye”.

The verb “carier” is derived from the Old Low Franconian word “karon”, which means “to move with effort” or “to haul”. It is commonly used in everyday French to express the action of carrying or transporting something from one place to another.

In the imparfait tense, “carier” is often used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je cariais des livres tous les jours. (I used to carry books every day.)
  2. Tu cariais tes courses à pied. (You used to carry your groceries on foot.)
  3. Les ouvriers cariaient les matériaux de construction sur le chantier. (The workers were carrying construction materials on the site.)

Note: The English translations provided are in the simple past tense as the imparfait tense in French doesn’t have a direct equivalent in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of carier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je caryais Je caryais les boîtes. I used to carry the boxes.
tu caryais Tu caryais le sac. You used to carry the bag.
il caryait Il caryait les valises. He used to carry the suitcases.
elle caryait Elle caryait les livres. She used to carry the books.
on caryait On caryait les provisions. We used to carry the groceries.
nous caryions Nous caryions les valises. We used to carry the suitcases.
vous caryiez Vous caryiez les sacs. You used to carry the bags.
ils caryaient Ils caryaient les boîtes. They used to carry the boxes.
elles caryaient Elles caryaient les livres. They used to carry the books.

Other Conjugations for Carier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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