Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb charmer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb charmer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of charmer. 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 “charmer” is “to charm” or “to please.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “shar-mey.”

The verb “charmer” comes from the Old French word “charme,” which means “spell” or “incantation.” It originated from the Latin word “carminare,” which means “to enchant.” In everyday French, “charmer” is commonly used to express the act of captivating or enchanting someone or something.

Here are three examples of “charmer” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Je charm ais les enfants avec mes histoires. (I used to charm the children with my stories.)
  2. Elle me charm ait toujours avec son sourire. (She would always charm me with her smile.)
  3. Nous vous charm ions par notre musique. (We used to charm you with our music.)

In these examples, the verb “charmer” is used to describe an ongoing action or habit in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of charmer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je charm ais Je charm ais les foules. I used to charm the crowds.
tu charm ais Tu charm ais tout le monde. You used to charm everyone.
il charm ait Il charm ait les femmes. He used to charm women.
elle charm ait Elle charm ait les hommes. She used to charm men.
on charm ait On charm ait les enfants. We used to charm children.
nous charm ions Nous charm ions les invités. We used to charm the guests.
vous charm iez Vous charm iez les spectateurs. You used to charm the spectators.
ils charm aient Ils charm aient le public. They used to charm the audience.
elles charm aient Elles charm aient les animaux. They used to charm animals.

Other Conjugations for Charmer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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