Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coalescer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coalescer

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The English translation of the French verb “coalescer” is “to coalesce” or “to merge.” The infinitive form of “coalescer” is pronounced as /kɔ.a.lɛ.se/.

“Coalescer” is derived from the Latin word “coalescere,” which means “to grow together.” It is often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The imparfait tense indicates an incomplete action or a habitual action that took place in the past.

Here are three simple examples of “coalescer” in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Les idées coalesçaient dans son esprit.
    (The ideas were coalescing in his mind.)
  2. Les nuages se coalesçaient pour former une tempête.
    (The clouds were merging to form a storm.)
  3. Les différentes factions politiques coalesçaient pour faire front commun.
    (The different political factions were coalescing to form a united front.)

These examples demonstrate the use of “coalescer” in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing processes or habitual actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of coalescer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je coalesçais Je coalesçais les idées. I was coalescing the ideas.
tu coalesçais Tu coalesçais les informations. You were coalescing the information.
il coalesçait Il coalesçait les ressources. He was coalescing the resources.
elle coalesçait Elle coalesçait les éléments. She was coalescing the elements.
on coalesçait On coalesçait les forces. We were coalescing the forces.
nous coalescions Nous coalescions nos efforts. We were coalescing our efforts.
vous coalesciez Vous coalesciez les idées. You were coalescing the ideas.
ils coalesçaient Ils coalesçaient les éléments. They were coalescing the elements.
elles coalesçaient Elles coalesçaient les informations. They were coalescing the information.

Other Conjugations for Coalescer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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