Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb confluer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb confluer

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The English translation of the French verb “confluer” is “to converge” or “to flow together.” The infinitive form of “confluer” is pronounced as “kohn-flu-eh”.

The word “confluer” derives from the Latin word “confluere,” which means “to flow together.” It entered the French language in the 15th century. In everyday French, “confluer” is often used in the imparfait tense to describe actions that were ongoing or repetitive in the past.

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

  1. Les rivières confluaient dans ce grand lac. (The rivers converged into this large lake.)
  2. Les idées de ces artistes confluaient vers une vision commune. (The ideas of these artists converged toward a common vision.)
  3. Les manifestants confluaient vers la Place de la République. (The protesters were converging towards the Republic Square.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to express ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of confluer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je confluais Je confluais avec mes collègues. I was converging with my colleagues.
tu confluais Tu confluais vers le même point. You were converging towards the same point.
il confluait Il confluait avec la rivière. He was converging with the river.
elle confluait Elle confluait avec les autres idées. She was converging with the other ideas.
on confluait On confluait vers une solution commune. We were converging towards a common solution.
nous confluiions Nous confluiions vers un objectif commun. We were converging towards a common goal.
vous confluiez Vous confluiez avec les autres participants. You were converging with the other participants.
ils confluaient Ils confluaient vers le même endroit. They were converging towards the same place.
elles confluaient Elles confluaient dans la même direction. They were converging in the same direction.

Other Conjugations for Confluer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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