Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb choquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb choquer

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The English translation of the French verb “choquer” is “to shock” or “to offend”. The infinitive form “choquer” is pronounced as “sho-kay.”

The verb “choquer” has its origins in the Latin word “collisionare” which means “to collide”. In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of the usage of “choquer” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, les films d’horreur me choquaient beaucoup.
    (When I was young, horror movies used to shock me a lot.)

  2. Les propos de cette personne me choquaient constamment.
    (The comments of that person used to constantly offend me.)

  3. Les images diffusées à la télévision choquaient régulièrement les téléspectateurs.
    (The images shown on television regularly shocked the viewers.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of choquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je choquais Je choquais les gens avec ma tenue. I used to shock people with my outfit.
tu choquais Tu choquais tes parents avec tes décisions. You used to shock your parents with your decisions.
il choquait Il choquait tout le monde avec ses actions. He used to shock everyone with his actions.
elle choquait Elle choquait les spectateurs avec sa performance. She used to shock the audience with her performance.
on choquait On choquait les voisins avec nos soirées bruyantes. We used to shock the neighbors with our loud parties.
nous choquions Nous choquions les passants avec notre comportement. We used to shock passersby with our behavior.
vous choquiez Vous choquiez vos amis avec vos opinions. You used to shock your friends with your opinions.
ils choquaient Ils choquaient les professeurs avec leur insolence. They used to shock the teachers with their insolence.
elles choquaient Elles choquaient les invités avec leur franchise. They used to shock the guests with their frankness.

Other Conjugations for Choquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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