Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chauffer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chauffer

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The English translation of the French verb “chauffer” is “to heat” or “to warm.”

The infinitive form “chauffer” is pronounced as [ʃo.fɛ].

The verb “chauffer” comes from the Latin word “calefacere,” which means “to make warm.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais petit, je chauffais toujours la maison. (When I was little, I would always heat the house.)
  2. Mes parents chauffaient la voiture avant de partir. (My parents used to warm up the car before leaving.)
  3. Pendant l’hiver, nous chauffions la cheminée tous les soirs. (During winter, we would heat the fireplace every evening.)

English translations:

  1. When I was little, I would always heat the house.
  2. My parents used to warm up the car before leaving.
  3. During winter, we would heat the fireplace every evening.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of chauffer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je chauffais Je chauffais la maison. I was heating the house.
tu chauffais Tu chauffais la voiture. You were warming up the car.
il chauffait Il chauffait la salle. He was heating the room.
elle chauffait Elle chauffait la nourriture. She was warming up the food.
on chauffait On chauffait la pièce. We were heating the room.
nous chauffions Nous chauffions la piscine. We were heating the pool.
vous chauffiez Vous chauffiez la salle de bain. You were warming up the bathroom.
ils chauffaient Ils chauffaient le bureau. They were heating the office.
elles chauffaient Elles chauffaient le salon. They were heating the living room.

Other Conjugations for Chauffer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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