Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embastionner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embastionner

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The English translation of the French verb embastionner is “to fortify” or “to strengthen.” The pronunciation of its infinitive form is [ɑ̃.bas.tjɔ.ne].

The word embastionner comes from the combination of the prefix “en-” and the noun “bastion,” which refers to a strong defensive structure. In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of embastionner used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je m’embastionnais contre les critiques. (I used to fortify myself against the criticism.)
  2. Nous embastionnions nos positions chaque nuit. (We used to fortify our positions every night.)
  3. Les soldats s’embastionnaient pour se protéger des attaques. (The soldiers used to fortify themselves to protect against attacks.)

Note: The English translations provided are not literal, but rather convey the general meaning of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of embastionner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je embastionnais J’embastionnais les murs. I was fortifying the walls.
tu embastionnais Tu embastionnais les fenêtres. You were fortifying the windows.
il embastionnait Il embastionnait la porte. He was fortifying the door.
elle embastionnait Elle embastionnait la maison. She was fortifying the house.
on embastionnait On embastionnait les barricades. We were fortifying the barricades.
nous embastionnions Nous embastionnions la forteresse. We were fortifying the fortress.
vous embastionniez Vous embastionniez les remparts. You were fortifying the ramparts.
ils embastionnaient Ils embastionnaient les défenses. They were fortifying the defenses.
elles embastionnaient Elles embastionnaient la cité. They were fortifying the city.

Other Conjugations for Embastionner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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