Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb charbonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb charbonner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of charbonner. 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 charbonner is “to charcoal” or “to blacken.” The infinitive form of charbonner is pronounced as “shar-bow-nay.”

The word charbonner is derived from the noun charbon, which means “charcoal” in English. It comes from the Late Latin word carbō, which also refers to “charcoal.” In everyday French, the verb charbonner is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three examples of charbonner used in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Pendant toute mon enfance, mon grand-père charbonnait pour se chauffer.
    (Throughout my childhood, my grandfather used to charcoal to heat himself.)

  2. Les forgerons charbonnaient leurs outils chaque matin avant de commencer à travailler.
    (The blacksmiths used to blacken their tools every morning before starting to work.)

  3. Nous charbonnions nos barbecues tous les week-ends avec du charbon de bois.
    (We used to charcoal our barbecues every weekend with charcoal.)

Note: The English translations provided may not be literal but convey the intended meaning of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of charbonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je charbonnais Je charbonnais tous les jours. I used to charcoal every day.
tu charbonnais Tu charbonnais pour gagner de l’argent. You used to charcoal to earn money.
il charbonnait Il charbonnait dans la mine. He used to charcoal in the mine.
elle charbonnait Elle charbonnait pour se chauffer. She used to charcoal to keep warm.
on charbonnait On charbonnait en silence. We used to charcoal in silence.
nous charbonnions Nous charbonnions ensemble. We used to charcoal together.
vous charbonniez Vous charbonniez avec précision. You used to charcoal with precision.
ils charbonnaient Ils charbonnaient toute la nuit. They used to charcoal all night.
elles charbonnaient Elles charbonnaient sans relâche. They used to charcoal tirelessly.

Other Conjugations for Charbonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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