Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb claustrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb claustrer

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The English translation of the French verb “claustrer” is “to confine” or “to lock up.” The infinitive form of claustrer is pronounced as “klo-stre.”

The word “claustrer” derives from the Latin word “claustrare,” meaning “to shut” or “to close.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe past habitual actions, ongoing actions, or to set the scene in the past.

Here are three examples of claustrer in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque soir, ils me claustraient dans ma chambre.
    (Every evening, they would confine me to my room.)

  2. Le gardien claustrait les prisonniers dans leurs cellules pendant la nuit.
    (The guard would lock up the prisoners in their cells during the night.)

  3. Pendant la révolution, les citoyens étaient claustrés chez eux.
    (During the revolution, citizens were confined to their homes.)

English translations:

  1. Every evening, they would confine me to my room.
  2. The guard would lock up the prisoners in their cells during the night.
  3. During the revolution, citizens were confined to their homes.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of claustrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je claustrais Je claustrais les animaux. I was confining the animals.
tu claustrais Tu claustrais les oiseaux. You were confining the birds.
il claustrait Il claustrait les prisonniers. He was confining the prisoners.
elle claustrait Elle claustrait les patients. She was confining the patients.
on claustrait On claustrait les étudiants. We were confining the students.
nous claustrions Nous claustrions les membres. We were confining the members.
vous claustriez Vous claustriez les invités. You were confining the guests.
ils claustraient Ils claustraient les personnes. They were confining the people.
elles claustraient Elles claustraient les enfants. They were confining the children.

Other Conjugations for Claustrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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