Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb côtoyer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb côtoyer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of côtoyer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb côtoyer is “to rub shoulders with” or “to be in close proximity to.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “koh-twah-yay.”

The verb côtoyer originates from the Old French word “costoier,” which meant “to walk alongside.” It comes from the Latin word “costa,” meaning “rib.” In everyday French, côtoyer is commonly used in the imparfait tense to indicate an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

Here are three examples of côtoyer in the imparfait tense:

  1. Nous côtoyions la mer tous les étés.
    (We used to be by the sea every summer.)
  2. Tu côtoyais les célébrités dans ton ancien travail.
    (You used to rub shoulders with celebrities in your former job.)
  3. Ils côtoyaient des personnes de différentes cultures.
    (They used to be in close proximity to people from different cultures.)

English translations:

  1. We used to be by the sea every summer.
  2. You used to rub shoulders with celebrities in your former job.
  3. They used to be in close proximity to people from different cultures.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of côtoyer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je côtoyais Je côtoyais mes voisins. I used to interact with my neighbors.
tu côtoyais Tu côtoyais des célébrités. You used to rub shoulders with celebrities.
il côtoyait Il côtoyait des personnes influentes. He used to associate with influential people.
elle côtoyait Elle côtoyait des artistes. She used to mingle with artists.
on côtoyait On côtoyait des gens intéressants. We used to interact with interesting people.
nous côtoyions Nous côtoyions nos collègues. We used to be in contact with our colleagues.
vous côtoyiez Vous côtoyiez des étudiants internationaux. You used to mix with international students.
ils côtoyaient Ils côtoyaient des hommes d’affaires. They used to associate with businessmen.
elles côtoyaient Elles côtoyaient des femmes politiques. They used to mingle with female politicians.

Other Conjugations for Côtoyer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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