Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Introduction to the verb couver
The English translation of the French verb “couver” is “to brood” or “to sit on eggs.” The infinitive form “couver” is pronounced as “koo-vay.”
The verb “couver” originates from the Latin word “cubare,” which means “to lie down.” In everyday French, “couver” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or continuous action in the past. It is commonly used to express the act of a bird sitting on its eggs or a person nurturing something or someone.
Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:
- Pendant des heures, la poule couvait ses œufs.
(For hours, the hen was sitting on her eggs.) - Mon grand-père couvait ses fleurs avec soin.
(My grandfather was tending to his flowers carefully.) - Chaque soir, elle couvait ses enfants pendant leur sommeil.
(Every evening, she would watch over her children while they were sleeping.)
In these examples, the verb “couver” is used to describe ongoing actions or states in the past, emphasizing the continuous aspect of the action.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of couver
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | couvais | Je couvais une idée. | I was hatching an idea. |
tu | couvais | Tu couvais une colère. | You were harboring anger. |
il | couvait | Il couvait des œufs. | He was brooding eggs. |
elle | couvait | Elle couvait une maladie. | She was incubating an illness. |
on | couvait | On couvait un complot. | We were brewing a plot. |
nous | couvions | Nous couvions les enfants. | We were sheltering the children. |
vous | couviez | Vous couviez les secrets. | You were keeping the secrets. |
ils | couvaient | Ils couvaient des projets. | They were nurturing plans. |
elles | couvaient | Elles couvaient des poussins. | They were brooding chicks. |
Other Conjugations for Couver.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb couver
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Couver – 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 couver. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!