Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cingler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cingler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of cingler. 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 “cingler” is “to whip” or “to lash.” The infinitive form “cingler” is pronounced as “sang-lay.”

The word “cingler” originated from the Old French word “sengler,” which means “to whip.” It comes from the Latin word “cingulum,” which refers to a belt or a strap. In everyday French, “cingler” is most often used figuratively to express the action of whipping or lashing physically, emotionally, or verbally.

Here are three examples of using “cingler” in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, mon père cinglait ses chevaux pour les faire avancer rapidement.
    When I was a child, my father whipped his horses to make them move quickly.

  2. Pendant l’orage, le vent cinglait les volets de la maison avec force.
    During the storm, the wind lashed the shutters of the house forcefully.

  3. Elle se souvenait comment les paroles blessantes de son ancien patron la cinglaient.
    She remembered how her former boss’s hurtful words used to lash her.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cingler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cinglais Je cinglais vers la ligne d’arrivée. I was sailing towards the finish line.
tu cinglais Tu cinglais avec élégance. You were sailing with elegance.
il cinglait Il cinglait rapidement. He was sailing swiftly.
elle cinglait Elle cinglait gracieusement. She was sailing gracefully.
on cinglait On cinglait avec précision. We were sailing with precision.
nous cinglions Nous cinglions vers le large. We were sailing towards the open sea.
vous cingliez Vous cingliez avec assurance. You were sailing with confidence.
ils cinglaient Ils cinglaient contre le vent. They were sailing against the wind.
elles cinglaient Elles cinglaient vers le soleil couchant. They were sailing towards the setting sun.

Other Conjugations for Cingler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 cingler imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply