Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contaminer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contaminer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of contaminer. 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 “contaminer” is “to contaminate.” The infinitive form “contaminer” is pronounced as “kohn-tah-mee-nay.”

“Contaminer” comes from the Latin word “contaminare,” which means “to pollute.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The imparfait tense expresses past habits, descriptions, or states of being.

Here are three simple examples of “contaminer” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque jour, les déchets industriels contaminaient le fleuve. (Every day, industrial waste contaminated the river.)
  2. Nous jouions dans la cour de récréation qui était contaminée par des produits toxiques. (We used to play in the schoolyard that was contaminated by toxic products.)
  3. Pendant des années, l’usine contaminait l’air que nous respirions. (For years, the factory was contaminating the air we breathed.)

English Translations:

  1. Every day, industrial waste contaminated the river.
  2. We used to play in the schoolyard that was contaminated by toxic products.
  3. For years, the factory was contaminating the air we breathed.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of contaminer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je contaminais Je contaminais l’eau. I was contaminating the water.
tu contaminais Tu contaminais la nourriture. You were contaminating the food.
il contaminait Il contaminait l’air. He was contaminating the air.
elle contaminait Elle contaminait le sol. She was contaminating the ground.
on contaminait On contaminait les animaux. We were contaminating the animals.
nous contaminions Nous contaminions les plantes. We were contaminating the plants.
vous contaminiez Vous contaminiez les objets. You were contaminating the objects.
ils contaient Ils contaient les bactéries. They were contaminating the bacteria.
elles contaient Elles contaient les virus. They were contaminating the viruses.

Other Conjugations for Contaminer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the contaminer imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply