Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coulisser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coulisser

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The English translation of the French verb “coulisser” is “to slide” or “to glide.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “coulisser” is koo-lee-seh.

The verb “coulisser” originated from the Latin word “colūcĭnāre,” meaning “to move back and forth.” In everyday French, “coulisser” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is the past continuous tense in English.

Here are three examples of “coulisser” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Nous coulissions doucement sur la glace. (We were sliding gently on the ice.)
  2. Les tiroirs coulissaient parfaitement bien. (The drawers were sliding perfectly fine.)
  3. Pendant la soirée, elle coulissait discrètement entre les invités. (During the evening, she was sliding discreetly among the guests.)

In these examples, “coulisser” is used to describe continuous actions or states in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of coulisser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je coulissais Je coulissais la porte. I was sliding the door.
tu coulissais Tu coulissais la fenêtre. You were sliding the window.
il coulissait Il coulissait discrètement. He was sliding quietly.
elle coulissait Elle coulissait le tiroir. She was sliding the drawer.
on coulissait On coulissait rapidement. We were sliding quickly.
nous coulissions Nous coulissions sans bruit. We were sliding silently.
vous coulissiez Vous coulissiez les portes. You were sliding the doors.
ils coulissaient Ils coulissaient avec facilité. They were sliding easily.
elles coulissaient Elles coulissaient les rideaux. They were sliding the curtains.

Other Conjugations for Coulisser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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