Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb effleurer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of effleurer. 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 English translation of the French verb “effleurer” is “to brush against” or “to graze.” The infinitive form “effleurer” is pronounced as [eh-fluh-ray].

The word “effleurer” originated from the Latin word “effleare,” which means “to gently touch.” In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe past actions or habits. The imparfait tense implies an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je l’effleurais souvent en passant. (When I was a child, I would often brush against him when passing by.)
  2. Elle effleurait les touches du piano avec une grande délicatesse. (She would graze the piano keys with great delicacy.)
  3. Chaque matin, le vent effleurait doucement les feuilles des arbres. (Every morning, the wind would gently brush against the tree leaves.)

Note: The translations are approximate, and the context may vary the interpretation of the examples.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of effleurer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je effleurais J’effleurais la fleur. I was brushing against the flower.
tu effleurais Tu effleurais sa main. You were lightly touching his/her hand.
il effleurait Il effleurait le mur. He was grazing the wall.
elle effleurait Elle effleurait la surface. She was skimming the surface.
on effleurait On effleurait les idées. We were skimming through the ideas.
nous effleurions Nous effleurions les détails. We were touching upon the details.
vous effleuriez Vous effleuriez le sujet. You were skimming over the subject.
ils effleuraient Ils effleuraient les feuilles. They were brushing against the leaves.
elles effleuraient Elles effleuraient les pétales. They were lightly touching the petals.

Other Conjugations for Effleurer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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