Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chlinguer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chlinguer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of chlinguer. 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 “chlinguer” is “to stink” or “to reek.” The infinitive form, “chlinguer,” is pronounced as [shleen-guh].

“Chlinguer” originated from the Romani language, “tschingar,” which means “to give off a strong odor.” It is an informal verb used in everyday French to describe a strong, unpleasant smell.

In the imparfait tense, “chlinguer” is often used to talk about ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, la vieille maison abandonnée à côté de chez nous chlinguait toujours.
    (When I was a child, the old abandoned house next to ours always stank.)

  2. Le fromage que nous mangions régulièrement chlinguait, mais nous l’adorions quand même.
    (The cheese we used to eat regularly stank, but we still loved it.)

  3. Pendant l’été, les poubelles de notre quartier chlinguaient constamment à cause de la chaleur.
    (During the summer, the garbage cans in our neighborhood would stink constantly due to the heat.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of chlinguer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je chlinguais Je chlinguais souvent. I used to stink often.
tu chlinguais Tu chlinguais toujours. You used to stink always.
il chlinguait Il chlinguait la maison. He used to stink up the house.
elle chlinguait Elle chlinguait la voiture. She used to stink up the car.
on chlinguait On chlinguait partout. We used to stink everywhere.
nous chlinguions Nous chlinguions le métro. We used to stink up the subway.
vous chlinguiez Vous chlinguiez les vêtements. You used to stink up the clothes.
ils chlinguaient Ils chlinguaient le quartier. They used to stink up the neighborhood.
elles chlinguaient Elles chlinguaient la salle de classe. They used to stink up the classroom.

Other Conjugations for Chlinguer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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