Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chiper

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chiper

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The English translation of the French verb “chiper” is “to snatch” or “to steal.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “shee-pay.”

The origin of the word “chiper” can be traced back to the Latin word “capere,” which means “to take” or “to seize.” In everyday French, “chiper” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which expresses past habitual or ongoing actions.

Here are three examples of “chiper” in the imparfait tense and their English translations:

  1. Je chipais des bonbons dans la cuisine.
    (I used to snatch candies from the kitchen.)

  2. Il chipait les billes de son frère.
    (He would steal his brother’s marbles.)

  3. Nous chipions les fleurs du jardin du voisin.
    (We used to snatch flowers from the neighbor’s garden.)

In these examples, the verb “chiper” is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of chiper

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je chipais Je chipais des bonbons. I used to steal candies.
tu chipais Tu chipais des fruits. You used to steal fruits.
il chipait Il chipait des jouets. He used to steal toys.
elle chipait Elle chipait des bijoux. She used to steal jewelry.
on chipait On chipait des affaires. We used to steal stuff.
nous chipions Nous chipions des gâteaux. We used to steal cakes.
vous chipiez Vous chipiez des livres. You used to steal books.
ils chipaient Ils chipaient de l’argent. They used to steal money.
elles chipaient Elles chipaient des vêtements. They used to steal clothes.

Other Conjugations for Chiper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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