Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb crapahuter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb crapahuter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of crapahuter. 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 “crapahuter” is “to trudge” or “to trek.” The infinitive form of “crapahuter” is pronounced as [kʁa.pa.ø.te].

The word “crapahuter” originates from the French military slang used during World War I. It derives from the verb “crapahuter” which means “to climb with difficulty” or “to climb uphill.”

In everyday French, “crapahuter” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe continuous or repeated actions in the past. It implies a sense of effort or difficulty in the action being described.

Here are three examples of “crapahuter” used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je crapahutais dans les montagnes tous les week-ends.
    (When I was young, I used to trudge in the mountains every weekend.)

  2. Pendant les vacances, nous crapahutions avec nos sacs à dos pour explorer la forêt.
    (During the holidays, we would trek with our backpacks to explore the forest.)

  3. Ils crapahutaient pendant des heures pour atteindre le sommet de la colline.
    (They were trudging for hours to reach the top of the hill.)

In these examples, the verb “crapahuter” is used to convey the idea of walking or climbing with effort or difficulty over a certain period of time.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of crapahuter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je crapahutais Je crapahutais dans la montagne. I was scrambling in the mountains.
tu crapahutais Tu crapahutais sous la pluie. You were trudging in the rain.
il crapahutait Il crapahutait dans la boue. He was slogging through the mud.
elle crapahutait Elle crapahutait à travers les rochers. She was scrambling over the rocks.
on crapahutait On crapahutait dans la forêt. We were hiking in the forest.
nous crapahutions Nous crapahutions dans les dunes. We were trekking in the dunes.
vous crapahutiez Vous crapahutiez dans la jungle. You were bushwhacking in the jungle.
ils crapahutaient Ils crapahutaient en montagne. They were climbing in the mountains.
elles crapahutaient Elles crapahutaient dans le désert. They were trekking in the desert.

Other Conjugations for Crapahuter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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