Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Introduction to the verb culer
The English translation of the French verb “culer” is “to move backwards” or “to reverse.” The infinitive form “culer” is pronounced [ky.le].
The verb “culer” in French derives from the Latin word “cubare,” meaning “to lie down.” It has evolved over time to acquire its modern meaning of moving backward. In everyday French, “culer” is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.
Here are three examples of “culer” in the imparfait tense and their English translations:
- Nous culions lentement sur l’autoroute.
(We were moving slowly on the highway.) - Les voitures culaient les unes après les autres.
(The cars were reversing one after the other.) - Quand il faisait noir, le camion culait pour se garer.
(When it was dark, the truck would move backwards to park.)
These examples illustrate the use of “culer” in the imparfait tense for actions that were ongoing or habitual in the past.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of culer
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Other Conjugations for Culer.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culer
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Culer – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb culer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!