Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb culotter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb culotter

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The English translation of the French verb “culotter” is “to put a bottom on” or “to line.” The infinitive form “culotter” is pronounced as “koo-loh-teh.”

The word “culotter” has its origins in the French language and is derived from the noun “culotte,” which means “trousers” or “pantaloons.” In everyday French, “culotter” is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

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

  1. Je culottais les chaises chaque été.
    (I used to put bottoms on the chairs every summer.)

  2. Tu culottais les poêles avec du papier d’aluminium.
    (You used to line the pans with aluminum foil.)

  3. Il/Elle culottait les tiroirs de la commode régulièrement.
    (He/She used to line the drawers of the dresser regularly.)

These examples illustrate the repeated actions of putting bottoms or linings on chairs, pots, and drawers in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of culotter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je culottais Je culottais mes pantalons. I used to hem my pants.
tu culottais Tu culottais la jupe. You used to hem the skirt.
il culottait Il culottait les shorts. He used to hem the shorts.
elle culottait Elle culottait la robe. She used to hem the dress.
on culottait On culottait les vêtements. We used to hem the clothes.
nous culottions Nous culottions nos pantalons. We used to hem our pants.
vous culottiez Vous culottiez les jupes. You used to hem the skirts.
ils culottaient Ils culottaient les shorts. They used to hem the shorts.
elles culottaient Elles culottaient les robes. They used to hem the dresses.

Other Conjugations for Culotter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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