Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb consommer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb consommer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of consommer. 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 consommer is “to consume.” The infinitive form of consommer is pronounced as “kɔ̃.sɔ.me”.

Consommer comes from the Latin word “consumere,” which means “to use up” or “to consume.” In everyday French, consommer is often used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or habitual action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of consommer in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je consommais beaucoup de café tous les matins.
    (I used to consume a lot of coffee every morning.)

  2. Nous consommions moins de viande à l’époque.
    (We used to consume less meat back then.)

  3. Vous consommiez beaucoup d’énergie en laissant les lumières allumées.
    (You used to consume a lot of energy by leaving the lights on.)

These sentences illustrate how consommer is used to describe past habitual actions or ongoing consumption.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of consommer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je consommais Je consommais du café tous les matins. I used to consume coffee every morning.
tu consommais Tu consommais beaucoup de sucre. You used to consume a lot of sugar.
il consommait Il consommait de la viande. He used to consume meat.
elle consommait Elle consommait des légumes. She used to consume vegetables.
on consommait On consommait beaucoup de produits laitiers. We used to consume a lot of dairy products.
nous consommions Nous consommions des fruits frais. We used to consume fresh fruits.
vous consommiez Vous consommiez de l’eau minérale. You used to consume mineral water.
ils consommaient Ils consommaient des aliments bio. They used to consume organic food.
elles consommaient Elles consommaient peu de sucre. They used to consume little sugar.

Other Conjugations for Consommer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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