Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cauchemarder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cauchemarder

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The English translation of the French verb “cauchemarder” is “to have nightmares.” The infinitive form “cauchemarder” is pronounced as “ko-shuh-mar-day.”

The word “cauchemarder” is derived from the Middle French term “cauchemar,” which can be traced back to the Old French words “caucher” (to press) and “mara” (incubus or nightmare). It is used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to express ongoing or repeated actions or states in the past.

Here are three examples of “cauchemarder” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je cauchemardais tous les soirs. (I used to have nightmares every night.)
  2. Tu cauchemardais souvent quand tu étais enfant. (You used to have nightmares often when you were a child.)
  3. Il/Elle cauchemardait régulièrement après avoir vu un film d’horreur. (He/She used to have nightmares regularly after watching a horror movie.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cauchemarder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cauchemardais Je cauchemardais toutes les nuits. I used to have nightmares every night.
tu cauchemardais Tu cauchemardais souvent. You used to have nightmares often.
il cauchemardait Il cauchemardait beaucoup. He used to have nightmares a lot.
elle cauchemardait Elle cauchemardait chaque nuit. She used to have nightmares every night.
on cauchemardait On cauchemardait en silence. We used to have nightmares in silence.
nous cauchemardions Nous cauchemardions ensemble. We used to have nightmares together.
vous cauchemardiez Vous cauchemardiez fréquemment. You used to have nightmares frequently.
ils cauchemardaient Ils cauchemardaient régulièrement. They used to have nightmares regularly.
elles cauchemardaient Elles cauchemardaient toutes les nuits. They used to have nightmares every night.

Other Conjugations for Cauchemarder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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