Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb classer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb classer

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The English translation of the French verb “classer” is “to classify” or “to sort.” The infinitive form “classer” is pronounced as “kla-se.”

The verb “classer” comes from the Latin word “classis,” which means “fleet” or “category.” It is most often used in everyday French to express the action of arranging or categorizing things or information.

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

  1. Je classais mes livres par genre. (I used to classify my books by genre.)
  2. Tu classais tes papiers dans des dossiers. (You used to sort your papers into folders.)
  3. Il classait les élèves par ordre alphabétique. (He used to organize the students in alphabetical order.)

In these examples, the use of “classer” in the imparfait tense describes habitual actions or ongoing processes in the past, indicating that the action of classifying was repeated or in progress over a period of time.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of classer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je classais Je classais les documents. I was organizing the documents.
tu classais Tu classais les livres. You were organizing the books.
il classait Il classait les dossiers. He was organizing the files.
elle classait Elle classait les photos. She was organizing the photos.
on classait On classait les objets. We were organizing the objects.
nous classions Nous classions les papiers. We were organizing the papers.
vous classiez Vous classiez les informations. You were organizing the information.
ils classaient Ils classaient les lettres. They were organizing the letters.
elles classaient Elles classaient les fichiers. They were organizing the files.

Other Conjugations for Classer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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