Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compresser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb compresser

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The English translation of the French verb “compresser” is “to compress.” The infinitive form of “compresser” is pronounced as kuhm-preh-sey.

“Compresser” is derived from the Latin word “comprimere,” which means “to press together.” It is most commonly used in everyday French to refer to the action of applying pressure or squeezing something to reduce its size or volume.

Here are three examples of “compresser” used in the imparfait tense and their respective English translations:

  1. Je compressais mes vêtements pour les faire tenir dans ma valise.
    (I used to compress my clothes to make them fit in my suitcase.)

  2. Tu compressais le ressort pour le faire rentrer dans son logement.
    (You used to compress the spring to fit it back into its housing.)

  3. Nous compressions les fichiers pour les envoyer par courrier électronique.
    (We used to compress the files to send them by email.)

In all of these examples, the verb “compresser” is conjugated in the imparfait tense to indicate a past action that was ongoing or habitual in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of compresser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je compressais Je compressais le fichier. I was compressing the file.
tu compressais Tu compressais les vêtements. You were compressing the clothes.
il compressait Il compressait les données. He was compressing the data.
elle compressait Elle compressait le document. She was compressing the document.
on compressait On compressait les photos. We were compressing the photos.
nous compressions Nous compressions les fichiers. We were compressing the files.
vous compressiez Vous compressiez les vidéos. You were compressing the videos.
ils compressaient Ils compressaient les dossiers. They were compressing the folders.
elles compressaient Elles compressaient les images. They were compressing the images.

Other Conjugations for Compresser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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