Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb claveter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb claveter

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The English translation of the French verb “claveter” is “to nail” or “to nail down.” The infinitive form “claveter” is pronounced as “klah-vuh-tey.”

The word “claveter” originates from the Latin word “clavis,” meaning “key” or “nail.” In everyday French, the verb is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe past habitual actions or states.

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

  1. Chaque matin, je clavetais les planches pour réparer le plancher. (Every morning, I would nail down the planks to repair the floor.)
  2. Pendant l’été, nous clavetions les panneaux pour construire notre cabane. (During the summer, we would nail the panels to build our hut.)
  3. Quand j’étais enfant, mon père clavetait les étagères du garage. (When I was a child, my father would nail down the shelves in the garage.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of claveter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je clavetais Je clavetais les planches. I was nailing the boards.
tu clavetais Tu clavetais les clous. You were nailing the nails.
il clavetait Il clavetait le bois. He was nailing the wood.
elle clavetait Elle clavetait le meuble. She was nailing the furniture.
on clavetait On clavetait les pièces. We were nailing the pieces.
nous clavetions Nous clavetions les portes. We were nailing the doors.
vous clavetiez Vous clavetiez les fenêtres. You were nailing the windows.
ils clavetaient Ils clavetaient les poutres. They were nailing the beams.
elles clavetaient Elles clavetaient les tuiles. They were nailing the tiles.

Other Conjugations for Claveter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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