Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embarquer

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The English translation of the French verb “embarquer” is “to embark” or “to board.” The infinitive form “embarquer” is pronounced as /ɑ̃.baʁ.ke/.

The word “embarquer” originated from the Old French word “embarc,” which comes from the Late Latin word “imbarcare.” It entered the French language around the 12th century. In everyday French, “embarquer” is predominantly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Examples of “embarquer” in the imparfait tense and their English translations:

  1. Chaque été, nous embarquions sur le ferry pour passer nos vacances à l’île. (Every summer, we used to board the ferry to spend our holidays on the island.)
  2. Pendant la guerre, les soldats embarquaient dans les navires pour rejoindre le front. (During the war, the soldiers were boarding the ships to join the front.)
  3. Quand j’étais enfant, je m’amusais à embarquer et à descendre du train en marche. (When I was a child, I used to have fun boarding and getting off the moving train.)

Note: The imparfait tense in English is often translated using “used to” or by adding the word “would” before the verb.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of embarquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je embarquais J’embarquais dans le train. I was boarding the train.
tu embarquais Tu embarquais avec moi. You were boarding with me.
il embarquait Il embarquait rapidement. He was boarding quickly.
elle embarquait Elle embarquait son bagage. She was boarding her luggage.
on embarquait On embarquait en silence. We were boarding silently.
nous embarquions Nous embarquions ensemble. We were boarding together.
vous embarquiez Vous embarquiez en premier. You were boarding first.
ils embarquaient Ils embarquaient avec enthousiasme. They were boarding enthusiastically.
elles embarquaient Elles embarquaient en retard. They were boarding late.

Other Conjugations for Embarquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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