Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chansonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chansonner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of chansonner. 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 “chansonner” is “to sing.” The infinitive form of chansonner is pronounced as “shon-son-ay.”

The word chansonner comes from the French noun “chanson,” meaning “song.” It originated from the Latin word “cantio,” which also means “song.” Chansonner is most commonly used in everyday French in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of chansonner in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Je chanson nais tous les jours. (I used to sing every day.)
  2. Tu chanson nais bien. (You used to sing well.)
  3. Ils chanson naient en duo. (They used to sing as a duo.)

Please note that the pronunciation of the verb forms may vary slightly:

  • Je chanson nais: zhuh shon-son-eh
  • Tu chanson nais: too shon-son-eh
  • Ils chanson naient: eel shon-son-eh

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of chansonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je chansonnnais Je chansonnais tous les jours. I used to sing every day.
tu chansonnnais Tu chansonnais bien. You used to sing well.
il chansonnait Il chansonnait avec passion. He used to sing with passion.
elle chansonnait Elle chansonnait pour le public. She used to sing for the audience.
on chansonnait On chansonnait en groupe. We used to sing together.
nous chansonnions Nous chansonnions joyeusement. We used to sing joyfully.
vous chansonniez Vous chansonniez en harmonie. You used to sing in harmony.
ils chansonnaient Ils chansonnaient lors des fêtes. They used to sing during parties.
elles chansonnaient Elles chansonnaient avec talent. They used to sing with talent.

Other Conjugations for Chansonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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