Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ceinturer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ceinturer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of ceinturer. 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 “ceinturer” is “to encircle” or “to belt.” The infinitive form “ceinturer” is pronounced as [sɛ̃.ty.ʁe].

The word “ceinturer” has its origins in the Latin word “cingere,” which means “to gird” or “to encircle.” In everyday French, “ceinturer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

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

  1. Pendant les manifestations, les policiers ceinturaient la foule pour la maintenir sous contrôle.
    (During the protests, the police would encircle the crowd to keep it under control.)

  2. Les agriculteurs ceinturaient les champs avec des barrières pour protéger les cultures.
    (The farmers would encircle the fields with fences to protect the crops.)

  3. Elle ceinturait sa taille avec une ceinture large pour mettre en valeur sa silhouette.
    (She would belt her waist with a wide belt to highlight her figure.)

Note: In these examples, the verb “ceinturer” is conjugated in the imparfait tense to indicate repeated or ongoing actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of ceinturer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je ceinturais Je ceinturais ma robe. I was belting my dress.
tu ceinturais Tu ceinturais ton pantalon. You were belting your pants.
il ceinturait Il ceinturait sa veste. He was belting his jacket.
elle ceinturait Elle ceinturait sa jupe. She was belting her skirt.
on ceinturait On ceinturait son manteau. We were belting our coat.
nous ceinturions Nous ceinturions nos bagages. We were belting our luggage.
vous ceinturiez Vous ceinturiez vos valises. You were belting your suitcases.
ils ceinturaient Ils ceinturaient leurs chemises. They were belting their shirts.
elles ceinturaient Elles ceinturaient leurs robes. They were belting their dresses.

Other Conjugations for Ceinturer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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