Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cuiter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cuiter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of cuiter. 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 “cuiter” is “to get drunk.” The infinitive form of “cuiter” is pronounced as “kwee-tey.”

The verb “cuiter” comes from the old French word “quiter” which means “to leave, to quit.” Over time, the meaning of “cuiter” shifted to refer to the act of getting drunk. In everyday French, “cuiter” is used in the imparfait tense to describe a habitual or ongoing action in the past.

Here are three examples of “cuiter” used in the imparfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, il cuistait dans les bars. (Every evening, he used to get drunk in bars.)
  2. Nous cuitions souvent ensemble lors des fêtes. (We would often get drunk together during parties.)
  3. Les étudiants cuitaient beaucoup pendant leurs années universitaires. (The students used to get drunk a lot during their university years.)

Please note that the translations provided are approximate and the context may alter the precise meaning of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of cuiter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je cuisais Je cuisais le dîner. I was cooking dinner.
tu cuisais Tu cuisais toujours trop longtemps. You always cooked for too long.
il cuisait Il cuisait avec passion. He was cooking with passion.
elle cuisait Elle cuisait un gâteau délicieux. She was baking a delicious cake.
on cuisait On cuisait un repas pour la famille. We were cooking a meal for the family.
nous cuisions Nous cuisions des légumes. We were boiling vegetables.
vous cuisiez Vous cuisiez du poisson. You were cooking fish.
ils cuisait Ils cuisait un ragoût. They were cooking a stew.
elles cuisaient Elles cuisaient des pâtes. They were cooking pasta.

Other Conjugations for Cuiter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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