Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effarer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb effarer

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The English translation of the French verb “effarer” is “to terrify” or “to frighten.” The infinitive form “effarer” is pronounced as [e.fa.ʁe].

The word “effarer” is derived from the Old French verb “fere” meaning “to strike” or “to hit.” It is mainly used in everyday French in the imparfait tense, which indicates ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, le noir m’effarait. (When I was a child, the dark used to frighten me.)
  2. Les histoires de fantômes nous effaraient pendant la nuit. (Ghost stories used to terrify us during the night.)
  3. Les bruits étranges dans la maison nous effaraient chaque fois. (The strange noises in the house would frighten us every time.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense is employed to describe past actions or situations that were ongoing or habitual.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of effarer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je effarais J’effarais mes amis. I used to scare my friends.
tu effarais Tu effarais les enfants. You used to scare the children.
il effarait Il effarait tout le monde. He used to scare everyone.
elle effarait Elle effarait ses parents. She used to scare her parents.
on effarait On effarait les animaux sauvages. We used to scare wild animals.
nous effarions Nous effarions nos ennemis. We used to scare our enemies.
vous effariez Vous effariez les passants. You used to scare the passersby.
ils effaraient Ils effaraient les voisins. They used to scare the neighbors.
elles effaraient Elles effaraient les oiseaux. They used to scare the birds.

Other Conjugations for Effarer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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