Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chlorer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chlorer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of chlorer. 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 “chlorer” is “to chlorinate.” The infinitive form “chlorer” is pronounced as /klɔ.ʁe/.

The verb “chlorer” comes from the noun “chlore” (chlorine) with the addition of the verb suffix “-er.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je chlorais la piscine tous les samedis. (I used to chlorinate the pool every Saturday.)
  2. Nous chlorions l’eau du robinet pour la rendre potable. (We used to chlorinate tap water to make it drinkable.)
  3. Les employés chloraient régulièrement les réservoirs d’eau. (The employees used to chlorinate the water tanks regularly.)

English translations:

  1. I used to chlorinate the pool every Saturday.
  2. We used to chlorinate tap water to make it drinkable.
  3. The employees used to chlorinate the water tanks regularly.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of chlorer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je chlorais Je chlorais la piscine. I was chlorinating the pool.
tu chlorais Tu chlorais les légumes. You were chlorinating the vegetables.
il chlorait Il chlorait l’eau potable. He was chlorinating the drinking water.
elle chlorait Elle chlorait la solution. She was chlorinating the solution.
on chlorait On chlorait les plantes. We were chlorinating the plants.
nous chlorions Nous chlorions les canalisations. We were chlorinating the pipes.
vous chloriez Vous chloriez la boisson. You were chlorinating the drink.
ils chloraient Ils chloraient le sol. They were chlorinating the soil.
elles chloraient Elles chloraient la piscine. They were chlorinating the pool.

Other Conjugations for Chlorer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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