Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb célébrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb célébrer

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The English translation of the French verb “célébrer” is “to celebrate”. The infinitive form “célébrer” is pronounced as “se-leh-breh”.

The word “célébrer” comes from the Latin word “celebrare”, which means to honor, solemnize, or celebrate. In everyday French, “célébrer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe past actions or states that were ongoing or repeated. It is used to talk about events or occasions that were being celebrated in the past.

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

  1. Chaque année, nous célébrions Noël en famille.
    (Every year, we used to celebrate Christmas as a family.)

  2. Quand j’étais enfant, nous célébrions mon anniversaire avec une fête à la maison.
    (When I was a child, we would celebrate my birthday with a party at home.)

  3. Pendant des siècles, les habitants du village célébraient la fête du printemps avec des danses et des feux d’artifice.
    (For centuries, the villagers used to celebrate the spring festival with dances and fireworks.)

English translations:

  1. Every year, we used to celebrate Christmas as a family.
  2. When I was a child, we would celebrate my birthday with a party at home.
  3. For centuries, the villagers used to celebrate the spring festival with dances and fireworks.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of célébrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je célébrais Je célébrais mon anniversaire. I was celebrating my birthday.
tu célébrais Tu célébrais une victoire. You were celebrating a victory.
il célébrait Il célébrait un mariage. He was celebrating a wedding.
elle célébrait Elle célébrait son succès. She was celebrating her success.
on célébrait On célébrait la fête nationale. We were celebrating the national holiday.
nous célébrions Nous célébrions un anniversaire. We were celebrating a birthday.
vous célébriez Vous célébriez une réussite. You were celebrating a success.
ils célébraient Ils célébraient une promotion. They were celebrating a promotion.
elles célébraient Elles célébraient une réunion. They were celebrating a meeting.

Other Conjugations for Célébrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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