Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb craboter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb craboter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of craboter. 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 “craboter” is “to plane” or “to smooth.” The infinitive form “craboter” is pronounced as [kʁa.bo.te].

The word “craboter” comes from the Old French word “crabot,” which means a plane (a tool used for shaping or smoothing wood). In everyday French, “craboter” is often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of “craboter” used in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je crabotais le bois tous les jours. (I used to plane the wood every day.)
  2. Pendant l’été dernier, tu crabotais les planches pour construire une étagère. (Last summer, you were planing the boards to build a shelf.)
  3. Les artisans crabotaient avec précision pour obtenir une surface lisse. (The craftsmen were planing with precision to achieve a smooth surface.)

Note: The translations provided above are not literal translations but convey the general meaning in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of craboter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je crabotais Je crabotais pour gagner ma vie. I was crabbing to make a living.
tu crabotais Tu crabotais avec moi. You were crabbing with me.
il crabotait Il crabotait tous les jours. He was crabbing every day.
elle crabotait Elle crabotait très rapidement. She was crabbing very quickly.
on crabotait On crabotait ensemble. We were crabbing together.
nous crabotions Nous crabotions sur la côte. We were crabbing on the coast.
vous crabotiez Vous crabotiez depuis longtemps. You were crabbing for a long time.
ils crabotaient Ils crabotaient sans relâche. They were crabbing tirelessly.
elles crabotaient Elles crabotaient avec efficacité. They were crabbing efficiently.

Other Conjugations for Craboter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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