Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb créosoter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb créosoter

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The English translation of the French verb “créosoter” is “to creosote.” The infinitive form, “créosoter,” is pronounced as “kreh-oh-soh-tey.”

The verb “créosoter” originated from the English word “creosote” and entered the French language in the late 19th century. It is primarily used to refer to the action of applying creosote, a wood preservative, to protect or treat wood from decay, insects, or weathering.

In everyday French, the verb “créosoter” is often 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, along with their English translations:

  1. Je créosotais les poteaux en bois de ma clôture tous les deux ans.
    (I used to creosote the wooden fence posts every two years.)

  2. Pendant mon enfance, mon grand-père créosotait régulièrement les terrasses en bois de sa maison.
    (During my childhood, my grandfather would regularly creosote the wooden decks of his house.)

  3. Nous créosotions les planches avant de les utiliser pour la construction de l’abri de jardin.
    (We were creosoting the planks before using them for the construction of the garden shed.)

Please note that the translation of the imparfait tense into English may vary depending on the context and specific meaning intended.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of créosoter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je créosotais Je créosotais le bois. I was creosoting the wood.
tu créosotais Tu créosotais les poteaux. You were creosoting the posts.
il créosotait Il créosotait les planches. He was creosoting the planks.
elle créosotait Elle créosotait la clôture. She was creosoting the fence.
on créosotait On créosotait les poutres. We were creosoting the beams.
nous créosotions Nous créosotions les meubles. We were creosoting the furniture.
vous créosotiez Vous créosotiez les barrières. You were creosoting the barriers.
ils créosotaient Ils créosotaient les solives. They were creosoting the joists.
elles créosotaient Elles créosotaient les terrasses. They were creosoting the terraces.

Other Conjugations for Créosoter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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