Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb croquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb croquer

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The English translation of the French verb “croquer” is “to bite” or “to crunch.” The infinitive form “croquer” is pronounced as “kroh-kay.”

The verb “croquer” comes from the Old French word “croquier,” which originates from the Middle Dutch word “krōken.” It is generally used to describe the action of biting or crunching something with the teeth. In everyday French, the verb “croquer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to talk about habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, il croquait une pomme pour le petit-déjeuner.
    (Every morning, he would bite into an apple for breakfast.)

  2. Quand j’étais enfant, je croquais toujours dans les bonbons avant de les manger.
    (When I was a child, I would always crunch into candies before eating them.)

  3. Pendant les vacances, nous croquions dans des délicieux croissants tous les matins.
    (During the holidays, we would bite into delicious croissants every morning.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of croquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je croquais Je croquais dans une pomme. I was biting into an apple.
tu croquais Tu croquais des bonbons. You were eating candy.
il croquait Il croquait dans un sandwich. He was biting into a sandwich.
elle croquait Elle croquait dans une carotte. She was biting into a carrot.
on croquait On croquait dans une pizza. We were biting into a pizza.
nous croquions Nous croquions des chocolats. We were eating chocolates.
vous croquiez Vous croquiez des biscuits. You were eating cookies.
ils croquaient Ils croquaient dans une frite. They were biting into a fry.
elles croquaient Elles croquaient dans une glace. They were biting into an ice cream.

Other Conjugations for Croquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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