Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Introduction to the verb cogiter
The English translation of the French verb cogiter is “to think deeply” or “to ponder.” The infinitive form “cogiter” is pronounced as “koh-zhee-tay.”
The word cogiter comes from the Latin “cogitare,” meaning “to think” or “to consider.” In everyday French, cogiter is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual thinking in the past. It expresses a continuous or repeated action that was taking place in the past.
Here are three examples of cogiter in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Je cogitais souvent sur l’avenir. (I used to think often about the future.)
- Pendant mes études, je cogitais longuement avant de prendre des décisions. (During my studies, I would think deeply before making decisions.)
- Ils cogitaient sans cesse sur le problème. (They were constantly pondering the problem.)
In these examples, cogiter in the imparfait tense conveys the idea of continuous or repeated thinking in the past.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cogiter
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | cogitais | Je cogitais beaucoup. | I used to think a lot. |
tu | cogitais | Tu cogitais sur le problème. | You were thinking about the problem. |
il | cogitait | Il cogitait depuis longtemps. | He had been thinking for a long time. |
elle | cogitait | Elle cogitait sur sa décision. | She was thinking about her decision. |
on | cogitait | On cogitait ensemble. | We were thinking together. |
nous | cogitions | Nous cogitions tranquillement. | We were thinking calmly. |
vous | cogitiez | Vous cogitiez intensément. | You were thinking intensely. |
ils | cogitaient | Ils cogitaient sur le sujet. | They were thinking about the topic. |
elles | cogitaient | Elles cogitaient toute la nuit. | They were thinking all night. |
Other Conjugations for Cogiter.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cogiter
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Cogiter – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb cogiter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!