Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carrer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of carrer. 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 “carrer” is “to dash” or “to sprint.” The infinitive form of “carrer” is pronounced as [ka.ʁe].

The verb “carrer” comes from the Latin word “carra,” which means “chariot.” It was originally used to describe the action of a horse or chariot rushing forward. In everyday French, “carrer” is commonly used to express the idea of dashing, sprinting, or moving quickly.

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

  1. Je carrais tous les matins pour attraper le bus.
    (I used to dash every morning to catch the bus.)

  2. Tu te carrais dès que la sonnerie retentissait.
    (You used to sprint as soon as the bell rang.)

  3. Pendant ma jeunesse, nous carrions jusqu’à la rivière tous les jours.
    (During my youth, we used to dash to the river every day.)

Note: The imparfait tense in French denotes ongoing or repeated actions in the past and is often translated into English using “used to” or “would” + verb.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of carrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je carrais Je carrais les légumes. I was squaring the vegetables.
tu carrais Tu carrais les cartes. You were shuffling the cards.
il carrait Il carrait les meubles. He was moving the furniture.
elle carrait Elle carrait les livres. She was stacking the books.
on carrait On carrait les boîtes. We were packing the boxes.
nous carrions Nous carrions les valises. We were carrying the suitcases.
vous carriez Vous carriez les sacs. You were carrying the bags.
ils carraient Ils carraient les chaises. They were moving the chairs.
elles carraient Elles carraient les tables. They were moving the tables.

Other Conjugations for Carrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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