Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cercler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cercler

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The English translation of the French verb “cercler” is “to circle” or “to encircle”. The infinitive form of “cercler” is pronounced as “ser-kle”.

“Cercler” comes from the Latin word “circulus,” which means “circle”. It is a regular -er verb in French and is most commonly used to express the action of making a circle or encircling something.

In the imparfait tense, “cercler” is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je cerclais les mots difficiles dans le livre. (I used to circle the difficult words in the book.)
  2. Tu circlais les numéros gagnants dans le journal. (You used to circle the winning numbers in the newspaper.)
  3. Il/Elle cercle les erreurs sur la feuille. (He/She circles the mistakes on the sheet.)

Please note that the translations provided above are in their simplest context and may vary depending on the full sentence or specific context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cercler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cerclais Je cerclais les mots. I was circling the words.
tu cerclais Tu cerclais le dessin. You were circling the drawing.
il cerclait Il cerclait le document. He was circling the document.
elle cerclait Elle cerclait les erreurs. She was circling the mistakes.
on cerclait On cerclait les objets. We were circling the objects.
nous cerclions Nous cerclions les verres. We were circling the glasses.
vous cercliez Vous cercliez les phrases. You were circling the sentences.
ils cerclaient Ils cerclaient les numéros. They were circling the numbers.
elles cerclaient Elles cerclaient les lettres. They were circling the letters.

Other Conjugations for Cercler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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