Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commercer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb commercer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of commercer. 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 “commercer” is “to trade” or “to do business.” The infinitive form of “commercer” is pronounced as “kom-mehr-sey.”

“Commercer” comes from the Latin word “commercium,” meaning “trade” or “exchange.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “commercer” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je commençais à commercer dès l’ouverture du marché. (I used to start trading as soon as the market opened.)
  2. Tu commercçais avec plusieurs fournisseurs pour obtenir les meilleurs prix. (You used to do business with several suppliers to get the best prices.)
  3. Ils commerçaient principalement avec des pays étrangers. (They used to trade mainly with foreign countries.)

Note: The translations provided are approximate and can vary based on the context of the sentence.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of commercer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je commercçais Je commercçais tous les jours. I used to trade every day.
tu commercçais Tu commercçais des produits locaux. You used to trade local products.
il commercçait Il commercçait avec les clients. He used to trade with the customers.
elle commercçait Elle commercçait des vêtements. She used to trade clothes.
on commercçait On commercçait au marché. We used to trade at the market.
nous commerccions Nous commerccions des marchandises. We used to trade goods.
vous commercciez Vous commercciez avec les fournisseurs. You used to trade with the suppliers.
ils commercçaient Ils commercçaient des matières premières. They used to trade raw materials.
elles commercçaient Elles commercçaient des produits internationaux. They used to trade international products.

Other Conjugations for Commercer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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