Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb consacrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb consacrer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of consacrer. 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 “consacrer” is “to dedicate” or “to consecrate.” The infinitive form of “consacrer” is pronounced as “kon-sa-kre”.

The verb “consacrer” comes from the Latin word “consacrare,” which means “to consecrate” or “to devote.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Chaque jour, il consacrait plusieurs heures à étudier. (Every day, he dedicated several hours to studying.)
  2. Nous consacrions beaucoup de temps à nos loisirs. (We used to dedicate a lot of time to our hobbies.)
  3. Pendant notre enfance, mes parents consacraient beaucoup d’énergie à nous éduquer. (During our childhood, my parents used to devote a lot of energy to educating us.)

In these examples, the verb “consacrer” is used in the imparfait tense to describe past actions that were ongoing or habitual.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of consacrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je consacrais Je consacrais beaucoup de temps à mes études. I used to dedicate a lot of time to my studies.
tu consacrais Tu consacrais ton énergie à ton travail. You used to dedicate your energy to your work.
il consacrait Il consacrait sa vie à aider les autres. He used to dedicate his life to helping others.
elle consacrait Elle consacrait son temps libre à la lecture. She used to dedicate her free time to reading.
on consacrait On consacrait nos weekends à voyager. We used to dedicate our weekends to traveling.
nous consacrions Nous consacrions nos efforts à la réalisation de nos objectifs. We used to dedicate our efforts to achieving our goals.
vous consacriez Vous consacriez votre talent à l’art. You used to dedicate your talent to art.
ils consacraient Ils consacraient leur argent à des causes humanitaires. They used to dedicate their money to humanitarian causes.
elles consacraient Elles consacraient leur vie à la protection de l’environnement. They used to dedicate their lives to environmental protection.

Other Conjugations for Consacrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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