Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conseiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conseiller

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The English translation of the French verb “conseiller” is “to advise” or “to recommend.” The infinitive form of “conseiller” is pronounced as “koh(n)-say-yay.”

The word “conseiller” originated from the Latin word “consiliare,” meaning “to advise.” In everyday French, “conseiller” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which expresses ongoing actions or habits in the past.

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

  1. Je te conseillais de prendre des vacances. (I used to advise/recommend you to take vacations.)
  2. Elle nous conseillait d’étudier régulièrement. (She used to advise/recommend us to study regularly.)
  3. Ils me conseillaient de lire davantage. (They used to advise/recommend me to read more.)

Note: The translations provided may slightly vary based on context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of conseiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je conseillais Je conseillais mon ami. I was advising my friend.
tu conseillais Tu conseillais ta sœur. You were advising your sister.
il conseillait Il conseillait son collègue. He was advising his colleague.
elle conseillait Elle conseillait sa cliente. She was advising her client.
on conseillait On conseillait nos voisins. We were advising our neighbors.
nous conseillions Nous conseillions nos amis. We were advising our friends.
vous conseilliez Vous conseilliez vos étudiants. You were advising your students.
ils conseillaient Ils conseillaient leurs enfants. They were advising their children.
elles conseillaient Elles conseillaient leurs parents. They were advising their parents.

Other Conjugations for Conseiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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