Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cravater

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cravater

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of cravater. 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 “cravater” is “to tie a tie.” The infinitive form “cravater” is pronounced as [kʁa.va.te].

The verb “cravater” originates from the noun “cravate,” which means “tie” in English. The noun “cravate” itself comes from the Croatian word “hrvát” since the necktie was introduced to France by Croatian soldiers during the Thirty Years’ War.

In everyday French, the verb “cravater” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque matin, il cravatait sa cravate avant de partir travailler.
    (Every morning, he used to tie his tie before leaving for work.)

  2. Quand j’étais jeune, je cravatais toujours ma cravate de travers.
    (When I was young, I always used to tie my tie crookedly.)

  3. Nous cravations nos cravates rapidement car nous étions en retard.
    (We used to quickly tie our ties because we were late.)

English translations:

  1. Every morning, he used to tie his tie before leaving for work.
  2. When I was young, I always used to tie my tie crookedly.
  3. We used to quickly tie our ties because we were late.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cravater

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cravatais Je cravatais ma chemise. I was tying my tie.
tu cravatais Tu cravatais bien. You were tying it well.
il cravatait Il cravatait lentement. He was tying it slowly.
elle cravatait Elle cravatait sa cravate. She was tying her tie.
on cravatait On cravatait pour la soirée. We were tying our ties for the party.
nous cravations Nous cravations nos cravates. We were tying our ties.
vous cravatiez Vous cravatiez élégamment. You were tying it elegantly.
ils cravataient Ils cravataient leur cravate. They were tying their ties.
elles cravataient Elles cravataient avec précision. They were tying them with precision.

Other Conjugations for Cravater.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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