Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chaperonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chaperonner

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The English translation of the verb chaperonner is “to chaperone.” The infinitive form of chaperonner is pronounced as “sha-peh-roh-neh.”

Chaperonner is derived from the French word “chaperon,” which means “hood” or “guardian.” In everyday French, chaperonner is commonly used to describe the act of supervising or accompanying someone, particularly in social or educational situations.

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

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je chaperonnais les sorties scolaires. (When I was young, I used to chaperone school trips.)
  2. Les parents chaperonnaient les enfants lors des soirées dansantes. (The parents used to chaperone the children during the dance parties.)
  3. Nous chaperonnions les adolescents pendant leurs voyages à l’étranger. (We used to chaperone the teenagers during their trips abroad.)

Please note that the translations provided are in the past tense to correspond with the imparfait tense in French.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of chaperonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je chaperonnais Je chaperonnais la sortie scolaire. I was chaperoning the school trip.
tu chaperonnais Tu chaperonnais les étudiants. You were chaperoning the students.
il chaperonnait Il chaperonnait le groupe. He was chaperoning the group.
elle chaperonnait Elle chaperonnait les enfants. She was chaperoning the children.
on chaperonnait On chaperonnait les élèves. We were chaperoning the students.
nous chaperonnions Nous chaperonnions les participants. We were chaperoning the participants.
vous chaperonniez Vous chaperonniez les jeunes. You were chaperoning the youth.
ils chaperonnaient Ils chaperonnaient les voyages. They were chaperoning the trips.
elles chaperonnaient Elles chaperonnaient les excursions. They were chaperoning the excursions.

Other Conjugations for Chaperonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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