Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb citer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of citer. 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 “citer” is “to cite” or “to quote”. The infinitive form of “citer” is pronounced as “see-tey”.

The word “citer” comes from the Latin word “citare”, which means “to summon” or “to call”. In everyday French, “citer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to indicate the action of mentioning, naming, or quoting someone or something in the past.

Here are three simple examples of the usage of “citer” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je citais souvent des poèmes dans mes discours.
    (I used to often cite poems in my speeches.)

  2. Il citait toujours son professeur lorsqu’il donnait une réponse.
    (He would always cite his teacher when giving an answer.)

  3. Nous citions les règles du jeu avant de commencer à jouer.
    (We used to cite the rules of the game before starting to play.)

These examples demonstrate how “citer” is used to express the act of mentioning or quoting someone or something in the past, providing additional information or support for a statement or argument.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of citer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je citais Je citais mes sources. I was citing my sources.
tu citais Tu citais souvent ce livre. You were often quoting this book.
il citait Il citait l’auteur. He was quoting the author.
elle citait Elle citait ses sources. She was citing her sources.
on citait On citait l’article. We were quoting the article.
nous citions Nous citions nos références. We were citing our references.
vous citiez Vous citiez des textes. You were quoting texts.
ils citaient Ils citaient des exemples. They were giving examples.
elles citaient Elles citaient des statistiques. They were citing statistics.

Other Conjugations for Citer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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