Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Introduction to the verb compter
The English translation of the French verb “compter” is “to count” or “to reckon.” The infinitive form of “compter” is pronounced as “kõ-tey.”
The verb “compter” comes from the Latin word “computare,” which means “to calculate.” In everyday French, “compter” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express ongoing or habitual actions in the past. The imparfait tense is used to describe past situations, states, or actions that were not necessarily completed.
Here are three simple examples of “compter” used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Je comptais mes économies tous les soirs. (I used to count my savings every evening.)
- Tu comptais les heures jusqu’à la fin de la journée. (You were counting the hours until the end of the day.)
- Nous comptions les étoiles pendant les nuits d’été. (We would count the stars during summer nights.)
In these examples, you can see that “compter” is used to express actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past without a specific end point.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of compter
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | comptais | Je comptais les jours. | I was counting the days. |
tu | comptais | Tu comptais les pièces. | You were counting the coins. |
il | comptait | Il comptait les points. | He was counting the points. |
elle | comptait | Elle comptait les minutes. | She was counting the minutes. |
on | comptait | On comptait les heures. | We were counting the hours. |
nous | comptions | Nous comptions les mots. | We were counting the words. |
vous | comptiez | Vous comptiez les personnes. | You were counting the people. |
ils | comptaient | Ils comptaient les étoiles. | They were counting the stars. |
elles | comptaient | Elles comptaient les pas. | They were counting the steps. |
Other Conjugations for Compter.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
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Compter – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb compter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!