Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb courbaturer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb courbaturer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of courbaturer. 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 “courbaturer” is “to have muscle soreness.” The infinitive form “courbaturer” is pronounced as “koor-bah-too-ray.”

The verb “courbaturer” comes from the noun “courbature,” which means muscle soreness or aches. It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe a recurring state of having muscle soreness in the past. The imparfait tense is used to indicate ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Chaque matin, je me courbaturais après avoir fait du sport.
    (Every morning, I would have muscle soreness after exercising.)

  2. Quand j’étais plus jeune, je me courbaturais souvent après avoir joué au football.
    (When I was younger, I would often have muscle soreness after playing football.)

  3. Pendant l’hiver, mes muscles se courbaturaient facilement à cause du froid.
    (During winter, my muscles would easily get sore due to the cold.)

Note: Please keep in mind that the translations provided are not literal, but rather reflect the intended meaning in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of courbaturer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je courbaturais Je courbaturais après l’entraînement. I was sore after the workout.
tu courbaturais Tu courbaturais souvent. You were often sore.
il courbaturait Il courbaturait après l’effort. He was sore after the effort.
elle courbaturait Elle courbaturait le lendemain. She was sore the next day.
on courbaturait On courbaturait après les exercices. We were sore after the exercises.
nous courbaturions Nous courbaturions après les longues marches. We were sore after the long walks.
vous courbaturiez Vous courbaturiez après le sport. You were sore after the sport.
ils courbaturaient Ils courbaturaient après les compétitions. They were sore after the competitions.
elles courbaturaient Elles courbaturaient après les entraînements. They were sore after the trainings.

Other Conjugations for Courbaturer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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