Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb choper

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb choper

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of choper. 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 “choper” is “to catch” or “to grab.” The infinitive form “choper” is pronounced as “sho-pey.”

The verb “choper” comes from the French slang word “chope,” which means “mug” or “glass” in English. It originated in the 19th century from the Romani language, spoken by the Romani people who are native to Northern India. In everyday French, “choper” is commonly used in the imparfait tense (imperfect tense) to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Nous choppins le bus tous les matins. (We used to catch the bus every morning.)
  2. Tu chopais les balles pendant l’entraînement. (You were grabbing the balls during the training.)
  3. Elle chopait souvent des bonbons dans le placard. (She used to frequently grab candies from the cupboard.)

Note: Please bear in mind that “choper” is a colloquial term and may not be used in formal or written French.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of choper

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je chopais Je chopais le fruit. I was grabbing the fruit.
tu chopais Tu chopais la balle. You were catching the ball.
il chopait Il chopait le poisson. He was catching the fish.
elle chopait Elle chopait le train. She was catching the train.
on chopait On chopait les insectes. We were catching the insects.
nous choppions Nous choppions les objets. We were grabbing the objects.
vous choppiez Vous choppiez le livre. You were grabbing the book.
ils chopaient Ils chopaient les voleurs. They were catching the thieves.
elles chopaient Elles chopaient les papillons. They were catching the butterflies.

Other Conjugations for Choper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the choper imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply