Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb consterner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb consterner

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The English translation of the French verb “consterner” is “to dismay” or “to appall.” The infinitive form “consterner” is pronounced as kɔ̃s.tɛʁ.ne.

The word “consterner” comes from the Latin word “consternare,” meaning “to prostrate oneself in terror.” In everyday French, “consterner” is often used to express a feeling of extreme disappointment, shock, or dismay.

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

  1. Je consternais mes parents en échouant toujours mes examens.
    (I used to dismay my parents by constantly failing my exams.)

  2. Le comportement irresponsable de mon collègue me consternait.
    (The irresponsible behavior of my colleague used to appall me.)

  3. Ces images terribles me consternaient chaque fois que je les voyais.
    (Those terrible images used to dismay me every time I saw them.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of consterner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je consternais Je me consternais devant la nouvelle. I was dismayed by the news.
tu consternais Tu te consternais facilement. You were easily dismayed.
il consternait Il consternait tout le monde avec sa décision. He was dismaying everyone with his decision.
elle consternait Elle consternait ses parents avec son comportement. She was dismaying her parents with her behavior.
on consternait On consternait les spectateurs avec notre performance. We were dismaying the audience with our performance.
nous consternions Nous nous consternions devant l’injustice. We were dismayed by the injustice.
vous consterniez Vous consterniez vos amis avec vos paroles. You were dismaying your friends with your words.
ils consternaient Ils consternaient tout le quartier avec leur bruit. They were dismaying the whole neighborhood with their noise.
elles consternaient Elles se consternaient devant l’ampleur du désastre. They were dismayed by the extent of the disaster.

Other Conjugations for Consterner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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