Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb céder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb céder

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of céder. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “céder” is “to yield” or “to give in”. The infinitive form, “céder”, is pronounced as [se.de].

The verb “céder” originated from the Latin word “cedere”, which means “to give way” or “to yield”. In everyday French, “céder” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe actions or states that occurred repeatedly or continuously in the past. It often indicates a persistent behavior or habit.

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

  1. Je cédais toujours devant ses demandes.
    (I would always yield to his requests.)

  2. Elle cédait facilement à la tentation.
    (She would easily give in to temptation.)

  3. Nous cédions devant leur insistance.
    (We would yield to their insistence.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action of yielding or giving in.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of céder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cédais Je cédais ma place. I was giving up my seat.
tu cédais Tu cédais devant lui. You were yielding to him.
il cédait Il cédait son pouvoir. He was relinquishing his power.
elle cédait Elle cédait à la pression. She was yielding to the pressure.
on cédait On cédait nos droits. We were giving up our rights.
nous cédions Nous cédions au compromis. We were yielding to the compromise.
vous cédiez Vous cédiez votre tour. You were giving up your turn.
ils cédaient Ils cédaient devant elles. They were yielding to them.
elles cédaient Elles cédaient leur position. They were giving up their position.

Other Conjugations for Céder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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