Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Introduction to the verb couper
The English translation of the French verb “couper” is “to cut.” The infinitive form of “couper” is pronounced as “koo-peh.”
The word “couper” originated from the Latin word “colpus,” which means “blow” or “strike.” In everyday French, “couper” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to indicate ongoing or repeated actions in the past.
Here are three examples of “couper” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:
- Je coupais les légumes pour la soupe. (I was cutting the vegetables for the soup.)
- Tu coupais les cheveux de ta sœur tous les mois. (You used to cut your sister’s hair every month.)
- Il/Elle coupait le pain en tranches fines pour le petit-déjeuner. (He/She was cutting the bread into thin slices for breakfast.)
Note: In English, the imparfait tense is often translated as either the simple past tense or the past continuous tense, depending on the context.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of couper
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | coupais | Je coupais les légumes. | I was cutting the vegetables. |
tu | coupais | Tu coupais le pain. | You were cutting the bread. |
il | coupait | Il coupait les cheveux. | He was cutting the hair. |
elle | coupait | Elle coupait la viande. | She was cutting the meat. |
on | coupait | On coupait les branches. | We were cutting the branches. |
nous | coupions | Nous coupions les fruits. | We were cutting the fruits. |
vous | coupiez | Vous coupiez le papier. | You were cutting the paper. |
ils | coupaient | Ils coupaient les cordes. | They were cutting the ropes. |
elles | coupaient | Elles coupaient les fleurs. | They were cutting the flowers. |
Other Conjugations for Couper.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couper
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Couper – 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 couper. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!