Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb converser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb converser

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The English translation of the French verb “converser” is “to converse” or “to talk”. The infinitive form “converser” is pronounced as kohn-ver-sey.

The word “converser” originated from the Latin word “conversari”, which means “to dwell” or “to live in society”. In everyday French, “converser” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe past ongoing or habitual actions.

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

  1. Je conversais souvent avec mes amis. (I used to talk often with my friends.)
  2. Nous conversions tranquillement autour d’une tasse de café. (We were conversing quietly over a cup of coffee.)
  3. Pendant nos vacances, nous conversions longuement avec les habitants du village. (During our vacation, we used to have long conversations with the village locals.)

In these examples, “converser” is used to express past actions that were ongoing or habitual in nature, highlighting the idea of talking or conversing over a period of time.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of converser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je conversais Je conversais avec lui. I was talking with him.
tu conversais Tu conversais beaucoup. You were talking a lot.
il conversait Il conversait en français. He was talking in French.
elle conversait Elle conversait avec eux. She was talking with them.
on conversait On conversait tous les jours. We were talking every day.
nous conversions Nous conversions tranquillement. We were talking peacefully.
vous conversiez Vous conversiez avec elle. You were talking with her.
ils conversaient Ils conversaient ensemble. They were talking together.
elles conversaient Elles conversaient souvent. They were talking often.

Other Conjugations for Converser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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