Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb doler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb doler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of doler. 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 French verb “doler” does not have a direct English translation. In fact, “doler” is not a French verb but rather a word in Spanish meaning “to hurt” or “to pain.” Therefore, there is no English translation for this specific verb in French.

As for the pronunciation of “doler” in its infinitive form, since it is a Spanish verb, it is pronounced as /do-lehr/ in Spanish. In French, it would be pronounced similarly but with a French accent.

Regarding the origin of the word “doler,” it comes from Latin and is related to the Latin verb “dolere,” which also means “to hurt” or “to be in pain.”

Since “doler” is not a verb used in everyday French, it is not typically used in the imparfait tense either. However, as it has a similar meaning to the French verb “faire mal” (to hurt), we can provide examples of how “faire mal” is used in the imparfait tense instead:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, mon genou me faisait mal tous les jours. (When I was a child, my knee used to hurt every day.)
  2. Elle avait mal à la tête tous les soirs avant d’aller se coucher. (She had a headache every evening before going to bed.)
  3. Nous avions mal au dos à force de travailler toute la journée. (We had back pain from working all day.)

English translations:

  1. When I was a child, my knee used to hurt every day.
  2. She had a headache every evening before going to bed.
  3. We had back pain from working all day.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of doler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dolais Je dolais tous les jours. I dolered every day.
tu dolais Tu dolais beaucoup. You dolered a lot.
il dolait Il dolait toujours. He dolered always.
elle dolait Elle dolait sans cesse. She dolered constantly.
on dolait On dolait en silence. We dolered in silence.
nous dolions Nous dolions ensemble. We dolered together.
vous doliez Vous doliez avec plaisir. You dolered with pleasure.
ils dolaient Ils dolaient sans effort. They dolered effortlessly.
elles dolaient Elles dolaient sans hésitation. They dolered without hesitation.

Other Conjugations for Doler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the doler imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply