Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commander

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb commander

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The English translation of the French verb “commander” is “to order” or “to command.” The infinitive form of “commander” is pronounced as “ko-mahn-dey.”

The verb “commander” is derived from the Old French word “comander,” which comes from the Late Latin word “commandare,” meaning “to entrust” or “to order.” In everyday French, “commander” is commonly used to express the action of giving orders or requesting something.

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

  1. Je commandais souvent des pizzas le samedi soir.
    (I used to order pizzas often on Saturday nights.)

  2. Pendant la guerre, il commandait une unité militaire.
    (During the war, he was commanding a military unit.)

  3. Nous commandions toujours le même plat dans ce restaurant.
    (We would always order the same dish in this restaurant.)

Note: The English translations provided are approximate, as the imparfait tense does not have an exact equivalent in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of commander

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je commandais Je commandais le repas. I was ordering the meal.
tu commandais Tu commandais toujours. You were always ordering.
il commandait Il commandait l’armée. He was commanding the army.
elle commandait Elle commandait le navire. She was commanding the ship.
on commandait On commandait en silence. We were commanding in silence.
nous commandions Nous commandions la situation. We were commanding the situation.
vous commandiez Vous commandiez avec autorité. You were commanding with authority.
ils commandaient Ils commandaient l’entreprise. They were commanding the company.
elles commandaient Elles commandaient l’équipe. They were commanding the team.

Other Conjugations for Commander.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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