Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coopter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coopter

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The English translation of the French verb “coopter” is “to co-opt.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kohp-tay.”

The word “coopter” originates from the French verb “coopter,” which comes from the Latin word “cooptare,” meaning “to choose as a colleague.” In everyday French, the verb “coopter” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe actions or situations that were ongoing or habitual in the past.

Here are three simple examples of how “coopter” can be used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Dans notre entreprise, nous cooptions régulièrement de nouveaux membres. (In our company, we used to co-opt new members regularly.)
  2. Les membres du comité se cooptaient mutuellement pour renforcer leurs positions. (The committee members would co-opt each other to strengthen their positions.)
  3. Pendant cette période, il cooptait des experts pour l’aider dans ses projets. (During that period, he would co-opt experts to help him with his projects.)

Note: The translations provided are not literal, but rather convey the general meaning of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of coopter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cooptais Je cooptais de nouveaux membres. I was coopting new members.
tu cooptais Tu cooptais des candidats qualifiés. You were coopting qualified candidates.
il cooptait Il cooptait des experts. He was coopting experts.
elle cooptait Elle cooptait des femmes talentueuses. She was coopting talented women.
on cooptait On cooptait des membres du conseil. We were coopting members of the board.
nous cooptions Nous cooptions de nombreux candidats. We were coopting many candidates.
vous cooptiez Vous cooptiez des étudiants prometteurs. You were coopting promising students.
ils cooptaient Ils cooptaient de nouveaux membres. They were coopting new members.
elles cooptaient Elles cooptaient des candidates expérimentées. They were coopting experienced candidates.

Other Conjugations for Coopter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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