Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cartonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cartonner

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The English translation of the French verb “cartonner” is “to be a hit” or “to be very successful.” The infinitive form “cartonner” is pronounced as “kar-ton-ay.”

The word “cartonner” comes from the noun “carton,” which means “cardboard.” In everyday French, “cartonner” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which expresses an ongoing or habitual action in the past.

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

  1. Pendant les années 90, ce film cartonnait au box-office.
    (During the ’90s, this movie was a hit at the box office.)

  2. Quand j’étais enfant, ce jeu vidéo cartonnait parmi mes amis.
    (When I was a child, this video game was a hit among my friends.)

  3. Tous les soirs, cette émission de télévision cartonnait en termes d’audience.
    (Every night, this TV show was very successful in terms of ratings.)

English translations:

  1. During the ’90s, this movie was a hit at the box office.
  2. When I was a child, this video game was a hit among my friends.
  3. Every night, this TV show was very successful in terms of ratings.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cartonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cartonnais Je cartonnais à l’école. I was excelling at school.
tu cartonnais Tu cartonnais en maths. You were doing great in math.
il cartonnait Il cartonnait au travail. He was excelling at work.
elle cartonnait Elle cartonnait en musique. She was excelling in music.
on cartonnait On cartonnait en équipe. We were excelling as a team.
nous cartonnions Nous cartonnions dans nos projets. We were excelling in our projects.
vous cartonniez Vous cartonniez dans vos examens. You were excelling in your exams.
ils cartonnaient Ils cartonnaient dans le sport. They were excelling in sports.
elles cartonnaient Elles cartonnaient en danse. They were excelling in dance.

Other Conjugations for Cartonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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