Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb crachouiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb crachouiller

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The English translation of the French verb “crachouiller” is “to sputter” or “to splutter.” The infinitive form of crachouiller is pronounced as “krah-shoo-yay.”

The verb crachouiller comes from the French word “crachoter,” which means “to splutter.” It is derived from the onomatopoeic word “crach,” which imitates the sound of something being spit out or expelled forcefully. In everyday French, crachouiller is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je crachouillais mes mots quand j’étais nerveux.
    (I used to sputter my words when I was nervous.)

  2. Il crachouillait de la fumée pendant qu’il fumait sa cigarette.
    (He was sputtering smoke while he was smoking his cigarette.)

  3. Nous crachouillions nos répliques pendant la pièce de théâtre.
    (We were sputtering our lines during the play.)

English translations:

  1. I used to sputter my words when I was nervous.
  2. He was sputtering smoke while he was smoking his cigarette.
  3. We were sputtering our lines during the play.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of crachouiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je crachouillais Je crachouillais mes mots. I was mumbling my words.
tu crachouillais Tu crachouillais ta nourriture. You were spitting out your food.
il crachouillait Il crachouillait de dégoût. He was spitting in disgust.
elle crachouillait Elle crachouillait de rire. She was laughing and spitting.
on crachouillait On crachouillait dans la rue. We were spitting on the street.
nous crachouillions Nous crachouillions les noyaux. We were spitting out the pits.
vous crachouilliez Vous crachouilliez de colère. You were spitting out of anger.
ils crachouillaient Ils crachouillaient des insultes. They were spitting out insults.
elles crachouillaient Elles crachouillaient le venin. They were spitting out venom.

Other Conjugations for Crachouiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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