Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb claudiquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb claudiquer

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The English translation of the French verb “claudiquer” is “to limp” or “to hobble.” The infinitive form “claudiquer” is pronounced as “kloh-dee-keh.”

The word “claudiquer” has its origins in the Latin word “claudicare,” which means “to limp.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or habitual action in the past.

Here are three examples of how “claudiquer” can be used in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je claudiquais après ma blessure à la cheville. (I used to limp after my ankle injury.)
  2. Tu claudiquais légèrement à cause de ta jambe endolorie. (You were limping slightly due to your sore leg.)
  3. Il/Elle claudiquait depuis son accident de voiture. (He/She was limping since his/her car accident.)

These examples highlight the ongoing nature of the limping action in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of claudiquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je claudiquais Je claudiquais à cause de ma blessure. I was limping because of my injury.
tu claudiquais Tu claudiquais après avoir couru. You were limping after running.
il claudiquait Il claudiquait à cause de sa jambe cassée. He was limping because of his broken leg.
elle claudiquait Elle claudiquait en raison de sa blessure. She was limping due to her injury.
on claudiquait On claudiquait après une longue marche. We were limping after a long walk.
nous claudiquions Nous claudiquions lentement. We were limping slowly.
vous claudiquiez Vous claudiquiez avec difficulté. You were limping with difficulty.
ils claudiquaient Ils claudiquaient après avoir couru un marathon. They were limping after running a marathon.
elles claudiquaient Elles claudiquaient à cause de leurs ampoules. They were limping because of their blisters.

Other Conjugations for Claudiquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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