Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cautionner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cautionner

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The English translation of the French verb “cautionner” is “to support” or “to back up.” The infinitive form “cautionner” is pronounced as “koh-son-ay.”

“Cautionner” originates from the Latin word “cautio,” meaning “guarantee” or “security.” In everyday French, it is often used in the imparfait tense to express ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je le cautionnais dans toutes ses décisions. (I used to support him in all his decisions.)
  2. Tu cautionnais toujours les actions de ton frère. (You always backed up your brother’s actions.)
  3. Ils nous cautionnaient lors de nos projets précédents. (They used to support us in our previous projects.)

English translations:

  1. I used to support him in all his decisions.
  2. You always backed up your brother’s actions.
  3. They used to support us in our previous projects.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cautionner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cautionnais Je cautionnais sa décision. I was endorsing his decision.
tu cautionnais Tu cautionnais leurs actions. You were endorsing their actions.
il cautionnait Il cautionnait cette initiative. He was endorsing this initiative.
elle cautionnait Elle cautionnait le projet. She was endorsing the project.
on cautionnait On cautionnait ces mesures. We were endorsing these measures.
nous cautionnions Nous cautionnions votre choix. We were endorsing your choice.
vous cautionniez Vous cautionniez leurs idées. You were endorsing their ideas.
ils cautionnaient Ils cautionnaient cette politique. They were endorsing this policy.
elles cautionnaient Elles cautionnaient cette décision. They were endorsing this decision.

Other Conjugations for Cautionner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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