Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Introduction to the verb contempler
The English translation of the French verb “contempler” is “to contemplate” or “to gaze at.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “contempler” is [kɔ̃.tɑ̃.ple].
“Contempler” comes from the Latin word “contemplare,” which means “to observe” or “to study.” In everyday French, “contempler” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or habitual action in the past.
Here are three examples of “contempler” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:
-
Je contemplais les étoiles chaque soir.
(I used to contemplate the stars every night.) -
Pendant mes vacances, nous contemplions souvent la mer.
(During my vacation, we used to gaze at the sea often.) -
Les enfants contemplaient les animaux dans le zoo.
(The children used to gaze at the animals in the zoo.)
Note: The translations provided are not the only possible translations as they may vary depending on the context.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of contempler
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | contemplais | Je contemplais le coucher du soleil. | I was contemplating the sunset. |
tu | contemplais | Tu contemplais la nature. | You were contemplating nature. |
il | contemplait | Il contemplait la mer. | He was contemplating the sea. |
elle | contemplait | Elle contemplait les étoiles. | She was contemplating the stars. |
on | contemplait | On contemplait le paysage. | We were contemplating the landscape. |
nous | contemplions | Nous contemplions les montagnes. | We were contemplating the mountains. |
vous | contempliez | Vous contempliez l’art. | You were contemplating art. |
ils | contemplaient | Ils contemplaient le tableau. | They were contemplating the painting. |
elles | contemplaient | Elles contemplaient les fleurs. | They were contemplating the flowers. |
Other Conjugations for Contempler.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contempler
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Contempler – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb contempler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!