Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culbuter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb culbuter

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The English translation of the French verb “culbuter” is “to overturn” or “to topple.” The infinitive form, “culbuter,” is pronounced as “kool-boo-tey.”

The verb “culbuter” comes from the Latin word “culbutare,” meaning “to knock down” or “to overturn.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the imparfait tense, which indicates a continuous or repetitive action in the past. The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing actions, habits, or states of being in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je culbutais souvent mes jouets. (When I was a child, I used to overturn my toys.)
  2. Les vagues puissantes culbutaient les petits bateaux. (The powerful waves were toppling the small boats.)
  3. Ils culbutaient les obstacles avec facilité. (They were effortlessly overturning the obstacles.)

In these examples, the verb “culbuter” is used to describe repetitive or ongoing actions in the past, highlighting the continuous nature of the action.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of culbuter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je culbutais Je culbutais dans le jardin. I was tumbling in the garden.
tu culbutais Tu culbutais souvent. You were tumbling often.
il culbutait Il culbutait sur le trampoline. He was tumbling on the trampoline.
elle culbutait Elle culbutait en gymnastique. She was tumbling in gymnastics.
on culbutait On culbutait ensemble. We were tumbling together.
nous culbutions Nous culbutions dans le parc. We were tumbling in the park.
vous culbutiez Vous culbutiez bien. You were tumbling well.
ils culbutaient Ils culbutaient sur le matelas. They were tumbling on the mattress.
elles culbutaient Elles culbutaient avec enthousiasme. They were tumbling with enthusiasm.

Other Conjugations for Culbuter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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