Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coloniser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coloniser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of coloniser. 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 “coloniser” is “to colonize.” The infinitive form “coloniser” is pronounced as “koh-loh-nee-zay.”

The verb “coloniser” is derived from the Latin word “colonus” meaning “settler” or “farmer.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the act of establishing a colony or settling in a foreign territory.

In the imparfait tense, “coloniser” is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Pendant des siècles, les Européens colonisaient de nombreux pays en Afrique. (For centuries, Europeans were colonizing many countries in Africa.)
  2. Quand nous étions enfants, nous colonisions notre jardin avec de petites figurines. (When we were children, we used to colonize our garden with small figurines.)
  3. Les explorateurs français colonisaient des terres inconnues au cours du 18e siècle. (French explorers were colonizing unknown lands during the 18th century.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of coloniser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je colonisais Je colonisais des territoires. I was colonizing territories.
tu colonisais Tu colonisais une île. You were colonizing an island.
il colonisait Il colonisait de nouveaux pays. He was colonizing new countries.
elle colonisait Elle colonisait des terres inconnues. She was colonizing unknown lands.
on colonisait On colonisait de nombreux territoires. We were colonizing many territories.
nous colonisions Nous colonisions des régions éloignées. We were colonizing distant regions.
vous colonisiez Vous colonisiez des continents entiers. You were colonizing entire continents.
ils colonisaient Ils colonisaient des peuples autochtones. They were colonizing indigenous peoples.
elles colonisaient Elles colonisaient des terres fertiles. They were colonizing fertile lands.

Other Conjugations for Coloniser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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