Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cochonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cochonner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of cochonner. 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 “cochonner” is “to make dirty” or “to mess up”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form “cochonner” is [ko-sho-nay].

The word “cochonner” comes from the French noun “cochon”, which means “pig”. It is derived from the Latin word “coctio” meaning “cooking” or “baking”. Over time, “coctio” evolved into “cochinare” in Late Latin, and eventually became “cochonner” in Old French.

In everyday French, “cochonner” is most often used in the imparfait tense to express a continuous or habitual action in the past. It is commonly used to describe actions that involve making a mess or dirtying something.

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

  1. Quand j’étais petite, je cochonnais toujours ma chambre.
    (When I was little, I would always mess up my room.)

  2. Les enfants cochonnaient leurs vêtements en jouant dans la boue.
    (The children would make their clothes dirty while playing in the mud.)

  3. Mon frère cochonnait la cuisine chaque fois qu’il y cuisinait.
    (My brother would always make a mess in the kitchen whenever he cooked.)

Note: The translations provided are not literal translations but rather convey the meaning of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cochonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cochonnais Je cochonnais ma chambre. I was messing up my room.
tu cochonnais Tu cochonnais tout le temps. You were always messing up.
il cochonnait Il cochonnait sa chemise. He was messing up his shirt.
elle cochonnait Elle cochonnait sa cuisine. She was messing up her kitchen.
on cochonnait On cochonnait le salon. We were messing up the living room.
nous cochonnions Nous cochonnions notre travail. We were messing up our work.
vous cochonniez Vous cochonniez le code. You were messing up the code.
ils cochonnaient Ils cochonnaient la salle de bain. They were messing up the bathroom.
elles cochonnaient Elles cochonnaient leur vélo. They were messing up their bike.

Other Conjugations for Cochonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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