Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chercher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chercher

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The English translation of the French verb “chercher” is “to search” or “to look for.” The infinitive form “chercher” is pronounced as “shehr-shay.”

The word “chercher” derives from the Old French word “cherchier,” which comes from the Vulgar Latin “circare” meaning “to circle” or “to move around.” In everyday French, “chercher” is commonly used in the imparfait tense (imperfect tense), which is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je cherchais toujours mes clés.
    (When I was a child, I was always looking for my keys.)

  2. Nous cherchions un bon restaurant pour dîner chaque soir.
    (We were looking for a good restaurant to have dinner every evening.)

  3. Pendant les vacances, ils cherchaient souvent des coquillages sur la plage.
    (During the holidays, they were often searching for seashells on the beach.)

In each of these examples, “chercher” is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, indicating a continuous search or looking for something.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of chercher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cherchais Je cherchais mes clés. I was looking for my keys.
tu cherchais Tu cherchais ton livre. You were looking for your book.
il cherchait Il cherchait son téléphone. He was looking for his phone.
elle cherchait Elle cherchait son sac. She was looking for her bag.
on cherchait On cherchait une solution. We were looking for a solution.
nous cherchions Nous cherchions notre voiture. We were looking for our car.
vous cherchiez Vous cherchiez un restaurant. You were looking for a restaurant.
ils cherchaient Ils cherchaient leurs clés. They were looking for their keys.
elles cherchaient Elles cherchaient leurs amis. They were looking for their friends.

Other Conjugations for Chercher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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