Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb crever

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb crever

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The English translation of the French verb “crever” is “to burst” or “to pop.” The infinitive form of “crever” is pronounced as “kre-ver.”

The word “crever” originates from the Latin “crepare,” meaning “to crack.” In everyday French, “crever” is commonly used as a slang verb to express the idea of bursting, popping, or dying. It can have both literal and metaphorical meanings.

In the imparfait tense, “crever” is often used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je crevais les ballons chaque fois qu’ils atterrissaient dans mon jardin.
    (I used to burst the balloons every time they landed in my garden.)

  2. Pendant l’orage, les pneus des voitures crevaient régulièrement à cause des éclairs.
    (During the storm, the car tires would burst regularly because of the lightning.)

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, mes parents me disaient de ne pas crever les bulles de savon.
    (When I was a child, my parents would tell me not to pop the soap bubbles.)

Please note that “crever” can have various other uses and meanings in different contexts, but these examples illustrate its common usage in the imparfait tense.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of crever

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je crevais Je crevais de faim. I was starving.
tu crevais Tu crevais de froid. You were freezing.
il crevait Il crevait les pneus. He was puncturing the tires.
elle crevait Elle crevait les ballons. She was popping the balloons.
on crevait On crevait de rire. We were laughing our heads off.
nous crevions Nous crevions de chaud. We were boiling hot.
vous creviez Vous creviez d’ennui. You were dying of boredom.
ils crevaient Ils crevaient les yeux. They were poking their eyes.
elles crevaient Elles crevaient les ballons. They were popping the balloons.

Other Conjugations for Crever.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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