Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cousiner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cousiner

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The English translation of the French verb “cousiner” is “to hang out with cousins.” The infinitive form of “cousiner” is pronounced as /ku.zi.ne/.

“Cousiner” is derived from the noun “cousin,” meaning cousin. The verb is formed by adding the suffix “-er” to the noun, creating a verb that specifically refers to spending time or socializing with cousins.

In everyday French, “cousiner” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe a continuous or repeated action in the past. It is commonly used when talking about regular or habitual activities related to cousins.

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

  1. Chaque été, nous cousinions ensemble.
    (Every summer, we used to hang out with cousins.)

  2. Quand j’étais jeune, je cousinais souvent avec mes cousins.
    (When I was young, I would often hang out with my cousins.)

  3. Elles se retrouvaient pour cousiner tous les weekends.
    (They would get together to hang out with cousins every weekend.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cousiner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cousinais Je cousinais souvent. I used to cousin often.
tu cousinais Tu cousinais toujours. You used to cousin always.
il cousinait Il cousinait avec moi. He used to cousin with me.
elle cousinait Elle cousinait bien. She used to cousin well.
on cousinait On cousinait ensemble. We used to cousin together.
nous cousins Nous cousins beaucoup. We cousin a lot.
vous cousiniez Vous cousiniez poliment. You used to cousin politely.
ils cousinaient Ils cousinaient sans cesse. They used to cousin incessantly.
elles cousinaient Elles cousinaient joyeusement. They used to cousin joyfully.

Other Conjugations for Cousiner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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