Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coter

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The English translation of the French verb “coter” is “to cost”. The infinitive form “coter” is pronounced as “koh-tay”.

The verb “coter” originates from the Latin word “quotare,” meaning “to count” or “to estimate.” In everyday French, “coter” is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe past actions, habits, or ongoing states in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Nous cotions souvent notre déjeuner au restaurant.
    (We used to have lunch at the restaurant frequently.)

  2. Je cotais une fortune pour mes études universitaires.
    (I used to spend a fortune on my university studies.)

  3. Les billets de concert cotaient cher l’année dernière.
    (The concert tickets used to be expensive last year.)

Note: In these examples, the verb “coter” is conjugated in the imparfait tense to match the subject pronouns “nous” (we), “je” (I), and “les” (the).

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of coter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cotais Je cotais mes dépenses. I used to estimate my expenses.
tu cotais Tu cotais les marchandises. You used to estimate the goods.
il cotait Il cotait les prix. He used to estimate the prices.
elle cotait Elle cotait les billets d’avion. She used to estimate the plane tickets.
on cotait On cotait les propriétés. We used to estimate the properties.
nous cotions Nous cotions les produits. We used to estimate the products.
vous cotiez Vous cotiez les services. You used to estimate the services.
ils cotaient Ils cotaient les actions. They used to estimate the stocks.
elles cotaient Elles cotaient les œuvres d’art. They used to estimate the artworks.

Other Conjugations for Coter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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