Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb charcuter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb charcuter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of charcuter. 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 charcuter is “to butcher” or “to carve meat.” The infinitive form of charcuter is pronounced as “shar-koo-tey.”

The word charcuter comes from the French noun “charcuterie,” which refers to a shop or delicatessen that sells prepared meat products. It originated from the Latin word “carnem” (meaning “flesh”) and “coctus” (meaning “cooked”).

In everyday French, the verb charcuter is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je charcutais la viande tous les jours. (I used to butcher/carve meat every day.)
  2. Pendant longtemps, tu charcutais les poulets pour le dîner. (For a long time, you used to butcher/carve the chickens for dinner.)
  3. Elle charcutait les saucisses avec précision. (She used to butcher/carve the sausages with precision.)

Please note that the English translations provided here are literal translations and may not capture the exact meaning in context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of charcuter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je charcutais Je charcutais la viande. I was butchering the meat.
tu charcutais Tu charcutais les saucisses. You were making sausages.
il charcutait Il charcutait les jambons. He was preparing the hams.
elle charcutait Elle charcutait les terrines. She was making pâtés.
on charcutait On charcutait les produits de charcuterie. We were processing charcuterie products.
nous charcutions Nous charcutions les porcs. We were butchering the pigs.
vous charcutiez Vous charcutiez les volailles. You were cutting up poultry.
ils charcutaient Ils charcutaient les viandes froides. They were preparing cold meats.
elles charcutaient Elles charcutaient les pâtés. They were making terrines.

Other Conjugations for Charcuter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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