Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coincer

Introduction to the verb coincer

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The English translation of the French verb coincer is “to get stuck” or “to trap.” The infinitive form of coincer is pronounced as “ko-a(n)-se”.

The word coincer comes from the Old French term coaisnier, which means “to block” or “to hinder.” It is derived from the Latin word coagmentare, which means “to fasten together.”

In everyday French, the verb coincer is often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It can be used to indicate being stuck physically or metaphorically, trapping something or someone, or encountering difficulties.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais petit, je me coinçais souvent les doigts dans la porte.
    (When I was little, I would often get my fingers stuck in the door.)

  2. Chaque fois qu’il pleuvait, ma voiture se coinçait dans la boue.
    (Every time it rained, my car would get stuck in the mud.)

  3. Nous nous coinçions toujours dans les embouteillages en rentrant du travail.
    (We would always get stuck in traffic on our way back from work.)

In these examples, the verb coincer is used to describe a repeated or ongoing action in the past, highlighting situations where something or someone was getting stuck or trapped.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of coincer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je coinçais Je coinçais la porte. I was wedging the door.
tu coinçais Tu coinçais le tiroir. You were jamming the drawer.
il coinçait Il coinçait le papier. He was trapping the paper.
elle coinçait Elle coinçait sa main. She was getting her hand stuck.
on coinçait On coinçait les clés. We were getting the keys stuck.
nous coincions Nous coincions le ballon. We were wedging the ball.
vous coinçiez Vous coinçiez la fenêtre. You were jamming the window.
ils coinçaient Ils coinçaient la porte. They were wedging the door.
elles coinçaient Elles coinçaient le tiroir. They were jamming the drawer.

Other Conjugations for Coincer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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