Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cloper

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cloper

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of cloper. 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 “cloper” is “to smoke” (referring to smoking cigarettes). The infinitive form “cloper” is pronounced as kloh-peh.

Cloper originates from the French colloquial language and is commonly used in everyday French, particularly in informal conversations. In the imparfait tense, it is used to express a continuous or repeated action in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque jour, il clopait deux paquets de cigarettes.
    (Every day, he used to smoke two packs of cigarettes.)
  2. Quand j’étais jeune, je clopais beaucoup.
    (When I was young, I used to smoke a lot.)
  3. Nous clopions en discutant dans le jardin.
    (We were smoking while chatting in the garden.)

Note: Please be aware that smoking can have negative health effects, and it is always advisable to consider the consequences before engaging in such activities.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cloper

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je clopais Je clopais après le dîner. I used to smoke after dinner.
tu clopais Tu clopais beaucoup. You used to smoke a lot.
il clopait Il clopait toute la journée. He used to smoke all day.
elle clopait Elle clopait en secret. She used to smoke in secret.
on clopait On clopait ensemble. We used to smoke together.
nous clopions Nous clopions devant le café. We used to smoke in front of the café.
vous clopiez Vous clopiez trop. You used to smoke too much.
ils clopaient Ils clopaient pendant les pauses. They used to smoke during breaks.
elles clopaient Elles clopaient dès le matin. They used to smoke as soon as morning came.

Other Conjugations for Cloper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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