Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb colmater

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb colmater

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of colmater. 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 “colmater” is “to seal” or “to plug.” The infinitive form “colmater” is pronounced as /kɔl.ma.te/.

The word “colmater” originated from the Latin word “calamus” meaning “reed” or “pen.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and initially referred to the act of sealing a hole in a ship using reed or wax. Over time, its meaning expanded to include the general idea of sealing or plugging any kind of opening or leak.

In everyday French, the verb “colmater” is often used in the imparfait tense, which expresses ongoing or repeated actions or states in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je colmatais les fuites du toit. (I used to seal the roof leaks.)
  2. Tu colmatais les fissures avec du mastic. (You used to plug the cracks with putty.)
  3. Il/Elle colmatait les brèches dans le mur. (He/She used to seal the breaches in the wall.)

English translations:

  1. I used to seal the roof leaks.
  2. You used to plug the cracks with putty.
  3. He/She used to seal the breaches in the wall.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of colmater

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je colmatais Je colmatais les fissures. I was sealing the cracks.
tu colmatais Tu colmatais les fuites. You were fixing the leaks.
il colmatait Il colmatait le trou. He was patching the hole.
elle colmatait Elle colmatait les brèches. She was plugging the gaps.
on colmatait On colmatait les défauts. We were filling the defects.
nous colmations Nous colmations les fissures. We were sealing the cracks.
vous colmatiez Vous colmatiez les fuites. You were fixing the leaks.
ils colmataient Ils colmataient les trous. They were patching the holes.
elles colmataient Elles colmataient les brèches. They were plugging the gaps.

Other Conjugations for Colmater.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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