Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carrosser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carrosser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of carrosser. 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 “carrosser” is “to bodywork” or “to repair the bodywork.” The infinitive form of “carrosser” is pronounced as “ka-roe-say.”

The word “carrosser” comes from the French noun “carrosse,” meaning “carriage” or “coach.” It is primarily used in everyday French to refer to the action of repairing or shaping the bodywork of a vehicle, such as automobiles.

Here are three examples of how “carrosser” is used in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque semaine, il carrossait des voitures anciennes. (Every week, he used to bodywork old cars.)
  2. Nous carrossions les véhicules endommagés dans notre atelier. (We used to repair the damaged vehicles in our workshop.)
  3. Les garagistes carrossaient les voitures accidentées avec soin. (The mechanics used to bodywork the crashed cars meticulously.)

In these examples, the verb “carrosser” is conjugated in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of carrosser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je carrossais Je carrossais ma voiture. I was repairing my car.
tu carrossais Tu carrossais les véhicules. You were repairing the vehicles.
il carrossait Il carrossait les camions. He was repairing the trucks.
elle carrossait Elle carrossait les voitures de luxe. She was repairing the luxury cars.
on carrossait On carrossait les motos. We were repairing the motorcycles.
nous carrossions Nous carrossions les bus. We were repairing the buses.
vous carrossiez Vous carrossiez les caravanes. You were repairing the caravans.
ils carrossaient Ils carrossaient les tracteurs. They were repairing the tractors.
elles carrossaient Elles carrossaient les vélos. They were repairing the bicycles.

Other Conjugations for Carrosser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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