Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb congeler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb congeler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of congeler. 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 congeler is “to freeze.” The infinitive form of congeler is pronounced as “kawn-zhe-lay.”

Congeler is derived from the Latin word “congelare,” which means “to freeze.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of freezing food or liquids, preserving them at a low temperature.

Here are three examples of congeler used in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque hiver, je congélais des légumes du jardin. (Every winter, I would freeze vegetables from the garden.)
  2. Quand j’étais jeune, nous congélions souvent de la glace pour faire des desserts. (When I was young, we would often freeze ice cream to make desserts.)
  3. Elles congelaient les restes pour les utiliser plus tard. (They used to freeze leftovers to use them later.)

Note: The imparfait tense in French is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, providing background information or setting the scene.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of congeler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je congélais Je congélais la viande. I was freezing the meat.
tu congélais Tu congélais les légumes. You were freezing the vegetables.
il congelait Il congelait le jus d’orange. He was freezing the orange juice.
elle congelait Elle congelait les fruits. She was freezing the fruits.
on congelait On congelait les plats préparés. We were freezing the ready-made meals.
nous congelions Nous congelions les restes. We were freezing the leftovers.
vous congeliez Vous congeliez les sauces. You were freezing the sauces.
ils congelaient Ils congelaient les poissons. They were freezing the fish.
elles congelaient Elles congelaient les desserts. They were freezing the desserts.

Other Conjugations for Congeler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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