Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb durer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb durer

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The English translation of the French verb “durer” is “to last” or “to endure.” The infinitive form “durer” is pronounced as “dyoo-ray.”

The verb “durer” in French originated from the Latin word “durare,” meaning “to be hard” or “to endure.” In everyday French, “durer” is most commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It expresses an incomplete action that does not have a specific beginning or end.

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

  1. Pendant l’été, les vacances duraient deux mois.
    (During the summer, vacations used to last two months.)
  2. Quand j’étais jeune, les réunions de famille duraient des heures.
    (When I was young, family gatherings used to last for hours.)
  3. Les travaux dans la maison duraient plusieurs semaines.
    (The renovations in the house lasted several weeks.)

These examples highlight ongoing actions or states in the past, emphasizing their duration or endurance.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of durer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je durais Je durais longtemps. I used to last a long time.
tu durais Tu durais beaucoup. You used to last a lot.
il durait Il durait toute la nuit. He used to last all night.
elle durait Elle durait quelques heures. She used to last a few hours.
on durait On durait très longtemps. We used to last a very long time.
nous durions Nous durions toute la journée. We used to last the whole day.
vous duriez Vous duriez peu de temps. You used to last a short time.
ils duraient Ils duraient longtemps. They used to last a long time.
elles duraient Elles duraient plusieurs jours. They used to last several days.

Other Conjugations for Durer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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