Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chambrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chambrer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of chambrer. 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 “chambrer” is “to arch” or “to curve.” The infinitive form of “chambrer” is pronounced as /ʃɑ̃.bʀe/.

The verb “chambrer” originated from the Old French word “cambre” which meant “to arch” or “to curve.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of curving or arching something, especially a body part or an object.

Examples of the usage of “chambrer” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations, are as follows:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je me chambrais pour épater mes amis.
    (When I was young, I used to arch my back to impress my friends.)

  2. Le chat se chambrait en signe d’agressivité.
    (The cat would arch its back as a sign of aggression.)

  3. Nous nous chambrions en rigolant lors de nos soirées pyjama.
    (We used to arch our backs while laughing during our pajama parties.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of chambrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je chambrais Je chambrais souvent. I used to tease often.
tu chambrais Tu chambrais tout le temps. You used to tease all the time.
il chambrait Il chambrait ses amis. He used to tease his friends.
elle chambrait Elle chambrait son frère. She used to tease her brother.
on chambrait On chambrait nos voisins. We used to tease our neighbors.
nous chambrions Nous chambrions les enfants. We used to tease the kids.
vous chambriez Vous chambriez les collègues. You used to tease the colleagues.
ils chambraient Ils chambraient tout le monde. They used to tease everyone.
elles chambraient Elles chambraient les professeurs. They used to tease the teachers.

Other Conjugations for Chambrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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