Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clouter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clouter

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The English translation of the French verb “clouter” is “to nail.” The infinitive form of “clouter” is pronounced as “kloo-tey” in French.

The verb “clouter” comes from the Old French word “clou” meaning “nail.” It is derived from the Latin word “clavus,” which also means “nail.” In everyday French, “clouter” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je cloutais souvent les planches dans l’atelier de mon père.
    (When I was young, I used to nail the planks in my father’s workshop.)

  2. Pendant l’été, nous cloutions les panneaux pour construire une nouvelle clôture.
    (During the summer, we would nail the panels to build a new fence.)

  3. Tu cloutais les affiches sur les murs du quartier tous les samedis matin.
    (You used to nail the posters on the walls of the neighborhood every Saturday morning.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of clouter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cloutais Je cloutais le mur. I was nailing the wall.
tu cloutais Tu cloutais les planches. You were nailing the planks.
il cloutait Il cloutait le toit. He was nailing the roof.
elle cloutait Elle cloutait la boîte. She was nailing the box.
on cloutait On cloutait les chaussures. We were nailing the shoes.
nous cloutions Nous cloutions le sol. We were nailing the floor.
vous cloutiez Vous cloutiez les poutres. You were nailing the beams.
ils cloutaient Ils cloutaient les meubles. They were nailing the furniture.
elles cloutaient Elles cloutaient les portes. They were nailing the doors.

Other Conjugations for Clouter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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