Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Introduction to the verb coucher
The English translation of the French verb “coucher” is “to sleep” or “to put to bed.” The infinitive form is pronounced as [ku.ʃe].
The verb “coucher” originates from the Old French word “couchier,” which means “to lay down.” It is commonly used in everyday French to refer to the act of going to bed or putting someone to bed. In the imparfait tense, “coucher” describes a habitual or ongoing action in the past.
Examples of “coucher” in the imparfait tense:
-
Chaque soir, je me couchais à neuf heures.
(Every evening, I would go to bed at nine o’clock.) -
Nous couchions les enfants avant de regarder un film.
(We would put the children to bed before watching a movie.) -
Pendant les vacances, tu te couchais tard tous les soirs.
(During the holidays, you used to go to bed late every night.)
English translations:
- Every evening, I would go to bed at nine o’clock.
- We would put the children to bed before watching a movie.
- During the holidays, you used to go to bed late every night.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of coucher
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | couchais | Je couchais tard. | I used to go to bed late. |
tu | couchais | Tu couchais chez moi. | You used to sleep at my place. |
il | couchait | Il couchait tôt. | He used to go to bed early. |
elle | couchait | Elle couchait mal. | She used to have trouble sleeping. |
on | couchait | On couchait ensemble. | We used to sleep together. |
nous | couchions | Nous couchions tôt. | We used to go to bed early. |
vous | couchiez | Vous couchiez tard. | You used to go to bed late. |
ils | couchaient | Ils couchaient tôt. | They used to go to bed early. |
elles | couchaient | Elles couchaient bien. | They used to sleep well. |
Other Conjugations for Coucher.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coucher
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Coucher – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb coucher. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!