Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb crevoter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb crevoter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of crevoter. 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 “crevoter” is “to work like crazy” or “to work one’s fingers to the bone.” The infinitive form is pronounced as kʁə.vɔ.te.

The word “crevoter” originates from the colloquial French term “crever,” which means “to die” or “to burst.” The suffix “-oter” is added to intensify the meaning, creating a slang word that conveys the idea of working excessively or relentlessly.

In everyday French, the verb “crevoter” is most often used in the imparfait tense, which is the past tense used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It expresses a habitual or continuous action in the past.

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

  1. Je crevotais tous les jours pour payer mes factures.
    (I used to work like crazy every day to pay my bills.)

  2. Nous crevotions pendant des heures pour finir ce projet.
    (We would work like crazy for hours to finish this project.)

  3. Tu crevotais tellement que tu n’avais plus de vie sociale.
    (You were working so hard that you had no social life anymore.)

These examples illustrate how “crevoter” in the imparfait tense portrays a continuous or habitual action of working excessively in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of crevoter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je crevotais Je crevotais tous les jours. I used to work like crazy every day.
tu crevotais Tu crevotais pour réussir. You used to work your butt off to succeed.
il crevotait Il crevotait sans relâche. He used to work tirelessly.
elle crevotait Elle crevotait jour et nuit. She used to work day and night.
on crevotait On crevotait comme des fous. We used to work like crazy.
nous crevotions Nous crevotions ensemble. We used to work together.
vous crevotiez Vous crevotiez pour gagner. You used to work hard to win.
ils crevotaient Ils crevotaient sans arrêt. They used to work non-stop.
elles crevotaient Elles crevotaient pour réussir. They used to work hard to succeed.

Other Conjugations for Crevoter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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