Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chevaler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chevaler

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The English translation of the French verb “chevaler” is “to knight” or “to dub.” The infinitive form, “chevaler,” is pronounced as “she-vah-leh.”

The verb “chevaler” comes from the Old French word “cheval” meaning “horse” and “chevalier” meaning “knight.” It is used in everyday French, particularly in historical or medieval contexts, when referring to the act of conferring knighthood or dubbing someone as a knight.

In the imparfait tense, “chevaler” is used to describe past actions or habitual actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past. Here are three examples of its usage:

  1. Chaque année, le roi chevalait de nouveaux soldats. (Every year, the king would knight new soldiers.)
  2. Pendant son règne, il chevalait plusieurs de ses proches amis. (During his reign, he would dub several of his close friends.)
  3. Autrefois, les seigneurs chevalaient les meilleurs chevaliers pour leur bravoure. (In the past, lords would knight the best knights for their bravery.)

English translations:

  1. Every year, the king would knight new soldiers.
  2. During his reign, he would dub several of his close friends.
  3. In the past, lords would knight the best knights for their bravery.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of chevaler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je chevalais Je chevalais tous les jours. I used to ride a horse every day.
tu chevalais Tu chevalais avec moi. You used to ride a horse with me.
il chevalait Il chevalait rapidement. He used to ride a horse quickly.
elle chevalait Elle chevalait élégamment. She used to ride a horse elegantly.
on chevalait On chevalait en groupe. We used to ride a horse as a group.
nous chevalions Nous chevalions en forêt. We used to ride a horse in the forest.
vous chevaliez Vous chevaliez tranquillement. You used to ride a horse calmly.
ils chevalaient Ils chevalaient compétitivement. They used to ride a horse competitively.
elles chevalaient Elles chevalaient avec enthousiasme. They used to ride a horse with enthusiasm.

Other Conjugations for Chevaler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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