Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cliquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cliquer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of cliquer. 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 “cliquer” is “to click.” The infinitive form “cliquer” is pronounced as “klee-kay.”

The word “cliquer” comes from the onomatopoeic sound of a click. It is a borrowing from English, specifically from the computer domain, and was integrated into the French language. In everyday French, “cliquer” is most often used in the context of using a computer mouse to select or activate something by clicking.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je cliquais souvent sur les jeux en ligne. (When I was a child, I used to click a lot on online games.)
  2. Nous cliquions toujours sur ce bouton par erreur. (We used to always click on that button by mistake.)
  3. Pendant la réunion, elle cliquait sans cesse sur son stylo. (During the meeting, she kept clicking her pen constantly.)

Note: The imparfait tense in French is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as to set the background or provide details in a story.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cliquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cliquais Je cliquais sur le bouton. I was clicking on the button.
tu cliquais Tu cliquais rapidement. You were clicking quickly.
il cliquait Il cliquait souvent. He was clicking often.
elle cliquait Elle cliquait avec précision. She was clicking accurately.
on cliquait On cliquait sans réfléchir. We were clicking without thinking.
nous cliquions Nous cliquions ensemble. We were clicking together.
vous cliquiez Vous cliquiez sur les liens. You were clicking on the links.
ils cliquaient Ils cliquaient sur toutes les options. They were clicking on all the options.
elles cliquaient Elles cliquaient sur les images. They were clicking on the images.

Other Conjugations for Cliquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 cliquer imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply