Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb convoyer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb convoyer

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The English translation of the French verb “convoyer” is “to convoy” or “to escort.” The infinitive form “convoyer” is pronounced as “kohn-vwah-yey.”

The verb “convoyer” comes from the Old French word “convoier,” which derives from the Latin word “conveyare.” It is often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Examples of “convoyer” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je convoyais les marchandises vers la frontière. (I used to convoy the goods to the border.)
  2. Les soldats convoyaient les prisonniers à travers le pays. (The soldiers were convoying the prisoners across the country.)
  3. Nous convoyions les diplomates lors de leurs déplacements officiels. (We were escorting the diplomats during their official trips.)

English translations:

  1. I used to convoy the goods to the border.
  2. The soldiers were convoying the prisoners across the country.
  3. We were escorting the diplomats during their official trips.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of convoyer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je convoyais Je convoyais les marchandises. I was convoying the goods.
tu convoyais Tu convoyais les passagers. You were convoying the passengers.
il convoyait Il convoyait les fournitures. He was convoying the supplies.
elle convoyait Elle convoyait les véhicules. She was convoying the vehicles.
on convoyait On convoyait les blessés. We were convoying the injured.
nous convoyions Nous convoyions les prisonniers. We were convoying the prisoners.
vous convoyiez Vous convoyiez l’équipe. You were convoying the team.
ils convoiyaient Ils convoiyaient les matériaux. They were convoying the materials.
elles convoiyaient Elles convoiyaient les personnes évacuées. They were convoying the evacuated people.

Other Conjugations for Convoyer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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