Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carotter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carotter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of carotter. 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 “carotter” is “to swindle” or “to cheat.” The infinitive form “carotter” is pronounced as “ka-rot-ey.”

The word “carotter” has its origins in the French noun “carotte,” meaning “carrot.” In the figurative sense, “carotter” emerged as a slang term in the 19th century, referring to deceiving someone by offering them a carrot as bait, only to take it away. Nowadays, it is predominantly used in everyday French to describe cheating or swindling someone out of money or possessions.

Here are three examples of how “carotter” can be used in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, il me carottait mon argent de poche.
    (When I was young, he used to swindle my pocket money from me.)

  2. Nous savions qu’il nous carottait, mais nous ne pouvions rien faire.
    (We knew he was cheating us, but we couldn’t do anything about it.)

  3. Tu te souviens de cet homme qui carottait tout le monde dans le quartier ?
    (Do you remember that man who used to swindle everyone in the neighborhood?)

English translations:

  1. When I was young, he used to cheat me out of my pocket money.
  2. We knew he was swindling us, but we couldn’t do anything about it.
  3. Do you remember that man who used to cheat everyone in the neighborhood?

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of carotter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je carottais Je carottais les légumes. I was chopping the vegetables.
tu carottais Tu carottais les radis. You were harvesting the radishes.
il carottait Il carottait les carottes. He was peeling the carrots.
elle carottait Elle carottait les navets. She was grating the turnips.
on carottait On carottait les légumes. We were preparing the vegetables.
nous carottions Nous carottions les oignons. We were dicing the onions.
vous carottiez Vous carottiez les céleris. You were slicing the celery.
ils carottaient Ils carottaient les pommes de terre. They were peeling the potatoes.
elles carottaient Elles carottaient les courgettes. They were cutting the zucchinis.

Other Conjugations for Carotter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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