Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb colleter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb colleter

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The English translation of the French verb “colleter” is “to tackle” or “to grapple with.” The infinitive form “colleter” is pronounced as “koh-leh-teh”.

“Colleter” is derived from the Old French word “colte,” meaning “neck.” It originally referred to a wrestling technique where one grabs the opponent by the neck. Over time, the meaning of the verb expanded to encompass the idea of confronting or tackling a problem or situation.

In everyday French, “colleter” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je colletais avec mes peurs. (When I was young, I used to grapple with my fears.)
  2. Ils colletaient régulièrement avec des problèmes financiers. (They were constantly tackling financial issues.)
  3. Nous colletions souvent avec les difficultés de communication. (We frequently grappled with communication difficulties.)

English translations:

  1. When I was young, I used to grapple with my fears.
  2. They were constantly tackling financial issues.
  3. We frequently grappled with communication difficulties.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of colleter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je collectais Je collectais des informations. I was collecting information.
tu collectais Tu collectais des témoignages. You were collecting testimonies.
il collectait Il collectait des données. He was collecting data.
elle collectait Elle collectait des échantillons. She was collecting samples.
on collectait On collectait des fonds. We were collecting funds.
nous collections Nous collections des objets. We were collecting objects.
vous collectionniez Vous collectionniez des timbres. You were collecting stamps.
ils collectionnaient Ils collectionnaient des souvenirs. They were collecting souvenirs.
elles collectionnaient Elles collectionnaient des pièces de monnaie. They were collecting coins.

Other Conjugations for Colleter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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