Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb crawler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb crawler

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The verb “crawler” in French translates to “to crawl” in English. The infinitive form of “crawler” is pronounced as [kʁaw.le].

The word “crawler” comes from the Latin word “crawla”, which means “to creep or crawl.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of moving on all fours or using hands and knees to proceed slowly. It can also be used metaphorically to describe slow progress or advancement.

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

  1. Quand j’étais bébé, je crawlais partout dans la maison.
    English translation: When I was a baby, I would crawl everywhere around the house.

  2. Les enfants crawlent souvent pendant les cours de natation.
    English translation: Children often crawl during swimming lessons.

  3. Pendant la compétition, il crawlait avec aisance dans la piscine.
    English translation: During the competition, he was crawling effortlessly in the pool.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of crawler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je crawlais Je crawlais dans la piscine. I was crawling in the pool.
tu crawlais Tu crawlais très vite. You were crawling very fast.
il crawlait Il crawlait avec aisance. He was crawling with ease.
elle crawlait Elle crawlait avec élégance. She was crawling with elegance.
on crawlait On crawlait tous les soirs. We were crawling every evening.
nous crawlions Nous crawlions en compétition. We were crawling in competition.
vous crawliez Vous crawliez avec force. You were crawling with strength.
ils crawlaient Ils crawlaient en équipe. They were crawling as a team.
elles crawlaient Elles crawlaient jusqu’à l’autre côté. They were crawling to the other side.

Other Conjugations for Crawler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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