Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb casser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb casser

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The English translation of the French verb “casser” is “to break.” The infinitive form of “casser” is pronounced as [ka-se].

The verb “casser” comes from the Latin word “quassare,” which means “to shake” or “to shatter.” In everyday French, “casser” is most often used to express the action of breaking or causing something to break. It can refer to physically breaking objects or metaphorically breaking relationships, plans, etc.

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

  1. Je cassais les assiettes quand j’étais enfant.
    (I used to break plates when I was a child.)
  2. Nous cassions souvent nos crayons à l’école.
    (We would often break our pencils at school.)
  3. Quand il pleuvait, les branches cassaient sous le poids des gouttes.
    (When it rained, the branches would break under the weight of the drops.)

Note: The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of casser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cassais Je cassais les assiettes. I was breaking the plates.
tu cassais Tu cassais le verre. You were breaking the glass.
il cassait Il cassait la porte. He was breaking the door.
elle cassait Elle cassait les jouets. She was breaking the toys.
on cassait On cassait les règles. We were breaking the rules.
nous cassions Nous cassions les branches. We were breaking the branches.
vous cassiez Vous cassiez les œufs. You were breaking the eggs.
ils cassaient Ils cassaient les fenêtres. They were breaking the windows.
elles cassaient Elles cassaient les chaises. They were breaking the chairs.

Other Conjugations for Casser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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