Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embaucher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embaucher

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The English translation of the French verb embaucher is “to hire” or “to employ.” The infinitive form “embaucher” is pronounced as ahm-bow-SHAY.

The word “embaucher” has its origins in the Old French term “bauscher,” which means “to give jobs to.” It is derived from the word “bauge,” meaning “position” or “job.” In everyday French, “embaucher” is used to refer to the action of offering employment or hiring someone.

In the imparfait tense, “embaucher” is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque été, mon père embauchait des étudiants pour travailler dans son entreprise.
    (Every summer, my father would hire students to work in his company.)

  2. Quand j’étais jeune, nous embauchions une femme de ménage chaque semaine.
    (When I was young, we would hire a cleaner every week.)

  3. Les entreprises locales embauchaient souvent des personnes sans expérience.
    (Local companies would often hire people with no experience.)

These examples show how “embaucher” in the imparfait tense is used to describe repeated or ongoing actions in the past, such as hiring seasonal workers, employing a cleaner on a regular basis, or hiring inexperienced individuals by local businesses.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of embaucher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je embauchais J’embauchais de nouveaux employés. I was hiring new employees.
tu embauchais Tu embauchais des étudiants. You were hiring students.
il embauchait Il embauchait des ingénieurs. He was hiring engineers.
elle embauchait Elle embauchait des graphistes. She was hiring graphic designers.
on embauchait On embauchait du personnel qualifié. We were hiring qualified staff.
nous embauchions Nous embauchions de nombreux candidats. We were hiring many candidates.
vous embauchiez Vous embauchiez des travailleurs étrangers. You were hiring foreign workers.
ils embauchaient Ils embauchaient des stagiaires. They were hiring interns.
elles embauchaient Elles embauchaient des employés à temps partiel. They were hiring part-time employees.

Other Conjugations for Embaucher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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