Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clochardiser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clochardiser

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The English translation of the French verb “clochardiser” is “to become homeless” or “to live as a homeless person.” The infinitive form “clochardiser” is pronounced as “klo-shar-dee-zay.”

The word “clochardiser” originates from the noun “clochard,” which means a homeless person in French. It is formed by adding the suffix “-iser” to the noun “clochard,” indicating the action of becoming or living as a homeless person.

In everyday French, the verb “clochardiser” in the imparfait tense is commonly used to describe the process or state of someone becoming homeless or living as a homeless person. It emphasizes the progressive aspect of the action.

Here are three examples of the usage of “clochardiser” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque hiver, il clochardisait en raison de ses problèmes financiers.
    (Every winter, he was becoming homeless due to his financial problems.)

  2. Pendant des années, la ville avait clochardisé lentement et personne ne semblait s’en soucier.
    (For years, the city was slowly becoming homeless, and no one seemed to care.)

  3. Les conditions économiques difficiles ont fait clochardiser de nombreuses personnes.
    (The difficult economic conditions caused many people to become homeless.)

English translations:

  1. Every winter, he was becoming homeless due to his financial problems.
  2. For years, the city was slowly becoming homeless, and no one seemed to care.
  3. The difficult economic conditions caused many people to become homeless.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of clochardiser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je clochardisais Je clochardisais dans les rues. I was living on the streets.
tu clochardisais Tu clochardisais depuis longtemps. You were living on the streets for a long time.
il clochardisait Il clochardisait près de la gare. He was living on the streets near the train station.
elle clochardisait Elle clochardisait dans cette ville. She was living on the streets in this city.
on clochardisait On clochardisait ensemble. We were living on the streets together.
nous clochardisions Nous clochardisions par nécessité. We were living on the streets out of necessity.
vous clochardisiez Vous clochardisiez par choix. You were living on the streets by choice.
ils clochardisaient Ils clochardisaient dans différentes villes. They were living on the streets in different cities.
elles clochardisaient Elles clochardisaient pour survivre. They were living on the streets to survive.

Other Conjugations for Clochardiser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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