Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb claquemurer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb claquemurer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of claquemurer. 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 “claquemurer” is “to barricade” or “to seal off.” The infinitive form “claquemurer” is pronounced as [klak-myuh-ray].

The word “claquemurer” is derived from the combination of two words: “claquer” (to slam) and “murer” (to wall up). It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense, which indicates an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

Here are three examples of how “claquemurer” can be used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, nous claquemurions les portes et les fenêtres pour nous protéger des moustiques.
    (Every evening, we would barricade the doors and windows to protect ourselves from mosquitoes.)

  2. Pendant la guerre, les habitants du village claquemuraient leurs maisons pour se cacher des bombardements.
    (During the war, the villagers would seal off their houses to hide from bombings.)

  3. Autrefois, les rois claquemuraient le château pour se protéger des attaques ennemies.
    (In the past, the kings would barricade the castle to protect themselves from enemy attacks.)

Please note that the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past and can vary in translation depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of claquemurer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je claquemurais Je claquemurais la maison. I was boarding up the house.
tu claquemurais Tu claquemurais la fenêtre. You were barricading the window.
il claquemurait Il claquemurait la porte. He was sealing off the door.
elle claquemurait Elle claquemurait la pièce. She was closing off the room.
on claquemurait On claquemurait le passage. We were blocking the passage.
nous claquemurions Nous claquemurions les accès. We were securing the entrances.
vous claquemuriez Vous claquemuriez les ouvertures. You were shuttering the openings.
ils claquemuraient Ils claquemuraient les issues. They were barricading the exits.
elles claquemuraient Elles claquemuraient les sorties. They were closing off the exits.

Other Conjugations for Claquemurer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 claquemurer imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply