Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chômer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chômer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of chômer. 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 chômer is “to be unemployed” or “to be on strike”. The infinitive form of chômer is pronounced as “shoh-may”.

Chômer originates from the Latin word “caumare” which means “to rest”. In everyday French, it is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual unemployment, or to express that someone was on strike in the past.

Here are three examples of chômer in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Nous chômions tous les étés. (We were unemployed every summer.)
  2. Tu chômais pendant plusieurs mois l’année dernière. (You were unemployed for several months last year.)
  3. Les travailleurs chômaient pour revendiquer de meilleures conditions de travail. (The workers were on strike to demand better working conditions.)

These examples showcase the use of chômer in the imparfait tense, where it describes ongoing or repeated actions or states in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of chômer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je chômais Je chômais chaque été. I used to be unemployed every summer.
tu chômais Tu chômais pendant les vacances. You used to be unemployed during the holidays.
il chômait Il chômait le lundi. He used to be unemployed on Mondays.
elle chômait Elle chômait souvent. She used to be unemployed often.
on chômait On chômait ensemble. We used to be unemployed together.
nous chômions Nous chômions pendant la grève. We used to be unemployed during the strike.
vous chômiez Vous chômiez trop longtemps. You used to be unemployed for too long.
ils chômaient Ils chômaient chaque hiver. They used to be unemployed every winter.
elles chômaient Elles chômaient pendant la crise. They used to be unemployed during the crisis.

Other Conjugations for Chômer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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