Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb crier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb crier

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The English translation of the French verb “crier” is “to shout” or “to scream.” The infinitive form of “crier” is pronounced as [kʁiʁ].

The verb “crier” comes from the Latin word “quiritare,” which means “to shout.” In everyday French, “crier” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. The imparfait tense is used to talk about continuous actions in the past, background information, or to set the scene.

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

  1. Chaque soir, je criais pour appeler mes amis. (Every evening, I used to shout to call my friends.)
  2. Pendant le match, les supporters criaient de joie. (During the game, the fans were shouting with joy.)
  3. Quand j’étais enfant, nous criions souvent en jouant dans la cour. (When I was a child, we would often scream while playing in the yard.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense conveys ongoing or habitual actions in the past, such as regularly shouting to call friends, continuous shouting of joy during a match, or frequent screaming while playing.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of crier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je criais Je criais fort. I was shouting loudly.
tu criais Tu criais souvent. You were shouting often.
il criait Il criait de joie. He was shouting with joy.
elle criait Elle criait de peur. She was shouting in fear.
on criait On criait victoire. We were shouting victory.
nous criions Nous criions ensemble. We were shouting together.
vous criiez Vous criiez dans la rue. You were shouting in the street.
ils criaient Ils criaient d’excitation. They were shouting with excitement.
elles criaient Elles criaient de colère. They were shouting in anger.

Other Conjugations for Crier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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