Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carreler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carreler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of carreler. 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 “carreler” is “to tile.” The infinitive form of “carreler” is pronounced as “ka-ray-lay.”

The word “carreler” comes from the French noun “carreau,” which means “tile” or “square.” It originated from the Old French word “quarrel,” which also referred to a square tile. The verb “carreler” is used to describe the action of covering a surface with tiles.

In everyday French, the imparfait tense of “carreler” is commonly used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It is often used to talk about repetitive actions or states in the past that had no specific beginning or end.

Here are three examples of “carreler” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Je carrelais ma salle de bain tous les week-ends.
    (I used to tile my bathroom every weekend.)

  2. Tu carrelais ta cuisine pendant que j’étais en vacances.
    (You were tiling your kitchen while I was on vacation.)

  3. Les ouvriers carrelaient le sol de la maison en prévision de l’arrivée des propriétaires.
    (The workers were tiling the floor of the house in preparation for the owners’ arrival.)

Please note that these translations are not literal and are provided to convey the meaning in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of carreler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je carrelais Je carrelais la cuisine. I was tiling the kitchen.
tu carrelais Tu carrelais la salle de bain. You were tiling the bathroom.
il carrelait Il carrelait le sol. He was tiling the floor.
elle carrelait Elle carrelait le mur. She was tiling the wall.
on carrelait On carrelait la terrasse. We were tiling the terrace.
nous carrelions Nous carrelions la cuisine. We were tiling the kitchen.
vous carreliez Vous carreliez la salle de bain. You were tiling the bathroom.
ils carrelaient Ils carrelaient le sol. They were tiling the floor.
elles carrelaient Elles carrelaient le mur. They were tiling the wall.

Other Conjugations for Carreler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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