Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb emberlificoter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb emberlificoter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of emberlificoter. 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 “emberlificoter” is “to tangle up” or “to entangle.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form, “emberlificoter,” is as follows: [ɑ̃.bɛʁ.li.fi.kɔ.te].

The word “emberlificoter” has uncertain origins, but it is believed to be a combination of the prefix “em-” (adding emphasis) and the verb “berlificoter” (to complicate or confuse). It is most often used colloquially in everyday French to describe the action of tangling or entangling things, whether literally or figuratively.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je m’emberlificotais souvent dans mes lacets.
    (When I was young, I would often tangle myself up in my shoelaces.)

  2. Pendant le cours de mathématiques, il s’emberlificotait avec les problèmes.
    (During the math class, he would get entangled with the problems.)

  3. Nous nous emberlificotions régulièrement dans des discussions philosophiques interminables.
    (We would regularly get tangled up in endless philosophical discussions.)

Please note that the imparfait tense is used to describe past actions or states that were ongoing or repeated in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of emberlificoter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je emberlificotais J’emberlificotais les fils. I was entangling the threads.
tu emberlificotais Tu emberlificotais les mots. You were confusing the words.
il emberlificotait Il emberlificotait la situation. He was complicating the situation.
elle emberlificotait Elle emberlificotait les règles. She was muddling the rules.
on emberlificotait On emberlificotait tout. We were jumbling everything.
nous emberlificotions Nous emberlificotions les discussions. We were muddying the discussions.
vous emberlificotiez Vous emberlificotiez les plans. You were messing up the plans.
ils emberlificotaient Ils emberlificotaient les affaires. They were entangling the affairs.
elles emberlificotaient Elles emberlificotaient les situations. They were complicating the situations.

Other Conjugations for Emberlificoter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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