Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clôturer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clôturer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of clôturer. 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 clôturer is “to close” or “to conclude.” The infinitive form “clôturer” is pronounced as klo-ty-ray.

The language origin of clôturer comes from the Old French word “closture,” meaning “closure” or “enclosure.” It is commonly used in everyday French to refer to the action of closing or concluding something, such as a meeting, an event, or a debate. In the imparfait tense, clôturer is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

Here are three examples of clôturer used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, nous clôturions la journée en faisant une promenade.
    (Every evening, we used to close the day by taking a walk.)

  2. Il clôturait toujours ses discours par un remerciement chaleureux.
    (He always concluded his speeches with a warm thank you.)

  3. Les concerts se clôturaient souvent par une ovation du public.
    (The concerts would often end with the audience giving an ovation.)

Note: The English translations provided are a general representation of the meaning of clôturer in the given context, but may vary depending on the specific context and usage.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of clôturer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je clôturais Je clôturais la réunion. I was closing the meeting.
tu clôturais Tu clôturais le compte. You were closing the account.
il clôturait Il clôturait l’événement. He was closing the event.
elle clôturait Elle clôturait la vente. She was closing the sale.
on clôturait On clôturait les inscriptions. We were closing the registrations.
nous clôturions Nous clôturions la journée. We were closing the day.
vous clôturiez Vous clôturiez le dossier. You were closing the file.
ils clôturaient Ils clôturaient le projet. They were closing the project.
elles clôturaient Elles clôturaient la session. They were closing the session.

Other Conjugations for Clôturer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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