Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cocher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cocher

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of cocher. 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 “cocher” is “to check” or “to tick”. The infinitive form “cocher” is pronounced as /kɔ.ʃe/.

The verb “cocher” comes from the Old French word “coche” which means “to notch” or “to mark with a sign”. It is derived from the Latin word “cocta” which means “to cook” or “to ripen”. In everyday French, “cocher” refers to the action of marking or ticking a box or an item on a list, often to indicate completion or selection.

Examples of “cocher” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je cochais toujours les cases dans les livres de coloriage. (When I was a child, I would always tick the boxes in the coloring books.)
  2. Elle cochait religieusement toutes les tâches accomplies sur sa liste quotidienne. (She diligently checked off all the completed tasks on her daily list.)
  3. Nous cochions les noms des invités sur la liste d’entrée de l’événement. (We would tick the names of the guests on the event’s entrance list.)

Please note that the translations provided are not literal translations but rather contextual equivalents that convey the meaning of the sentences in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cocher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cochais Je cochais les cases. I was checking the boxes.
tu cochais Tu cochais rapidement. You were checking quickly.
il cochait Il cochait les numéros. He was checking the numbers.
elle cochait Elle cochait les réponses. She was checking the answers.
on cochait On cochait les options. We were checking the options.
nous cochions Nous cochions les items. We were checking the items.
vous cochiez Vous cochiez les cases. You were checking the boxes.
ils cochaient Ils cochaient les cases. They were checking the boxes.
elles cochaient Elles cochaient les cases. They were checking the boxes.

Other Conjugations for Cocher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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