Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chatouiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chatouiller

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of chatouiller. 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 “chatouiller” is “to tickle.” The infinitive form, “chatouiller,” is pronounced as “sha-too-yay.”

“Chatouiller” is derived from the Old French word “chatouil,” which means “itch” or “tickle.” It is mainly used in everyday French to describe the action of lightly touching or tickling someone to provoke laughter or a tickling sensation.

Here are three examples of the verb “chatouiller” used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, mon grand frère me chatouillait souvent. (When I was a child, my older brother would often tickle me.)
  2. Nous nous chatouillions mutuellement pendant les soirées pyjama. (We used to tickle each other during sleepovers.)
  3. Les clowns du cirque chatouillaient les spectateurs pour les faire rire. (The circus clowns would tickle the audience to make them laugh.)

In these examples, the verb “chatouiller” is used to describe past ongoing actions or habits, providing a sense of continuity in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of chatouiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je chatouillais Je chatouillais mon frère. I was tickling my brother.
tu chatouillais Tu chatouillais ton ami. You were tickling your friend.
il chatouillait Il chatouillait sa sœur. He was tickling his sister.
elle chatouillait Elle chatouillait son cousin. She was tickling her cousin.
on chatouillait On chatouillait le chien. We were tickling the dog.
nous chatouillions Nous chatouillions nos amis. We were tickling our friends.
vous chatouilliez Vous chatouilliez votre maman. You were tickling your mom.
ils chatouillaient Ils chatouillaient leur voisin. They were tickling their neighbor.
elles chatouillaient Elles chatouillaient leur grand-mère. They were tickling their grandmother.

Other Conjugations for Chatouiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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