Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cataloguer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cataloguer

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The English translation of the French verb “cataloguer” is “to catalog” or “to list”. The infinitive form of “cataloguer” is pronounced as “kah-tah-loo-gey”.

The verb “cataloguer” comes from the Latin word “catalogare”, meaning “to list” or “to classify”. In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “cataloguer” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je cataloguais mes livres tous les mois. (I used to catalog my books every month.)
  2. Tu cataloguais les produits dans le magasin tous les jours. (You used to catalog the products in the store every day.)
  3. Ils cataloguaient les œuvres d’art pour l’exposition. (They were cataloging the artworks for the exhibition.)

English translations:

  1. I used to catalog my books every month.
  2. You used to catalog the products in the store every day.
  3. They were cataloging the artworks for the exhibition.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cataloguer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cataloguais Je cataloguais les livres. I was cataloguing the books.
tu cataloguais Tu cataloguais les documents. You were cataloguing the documents.
il cataloguait Il cataloguait les fichiers. He was cataloguing the files.
elle cataloguait Elle cataloguait les images. She was cataloguing the images.
on cataloguait On cataloguait les produits. We were cataloguing the products.
nous cataloguions Nous cataloguions les articles. We were cataloguing the articles.
vous cataloguiez Vous cataloguiez les objets. You were cataloguing the objects.
ils cataloguaient Ils cataloguaient les données. They were cataloguing the data.
elles cataloguaient Elles cataloguaient les vidéos. They were cataloguing the videos.

Other Conjugations for Cataloguer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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