Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compulser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb compulser

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The English translation of the French verb “compulser” is “to compile” or “to collate.” The infinitive form of “compulser” is pronounced as “kɔ̃.pyl.ze.”

“Compulser” is derived from the Latin word “compilare,” which means “to gather together.” In everyday French, it is used to refer to the action of gathering or collecting information, data, or various elements into a single entity. It is commonly used in academic or technical contexts, such as compiling research, data, or reports.

Examples of “compulser” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque semaine, il compulsait les informations nécessaires pour rédiger son rapport. (Every week, he would compile the necessary information to write his report.)
  2. Nous compulsions les données des différentes sources afin d’établir des statistiques fiables. (We would compile data from various sources to establish reliable statistics.)
  3. Pendant des mois, elle compulsait les sources historiques pour son livre. (For months, she would compile historical sources for her book.)

In these examples, “compulser” is used to describe the ongoing or habitual action of gathering and assembling information over a certain period of time in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of compulser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je compulais Je compulais les documents. I was looking through the documents.
tu compulais Tu compulais les livres. You were consulting the books.
il compulait Il compulait les dossiers. He was examining the files.
elle compulait Elle compulait les archives. She was going through the archives.
on compulait On compulait les informations. We were gathering information.
nous compulions Nous compulions les données. We were compiling the data.
vous compuliez Vous compuliez les rapports. You were reviewing the reports.
ils compulaient Ils compulaient les statistiques. They were analyzing the statistics.
elles compulaient Elles compulaient les notes. They were perusing the notes.

Other Conjugations for Compulser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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