Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embobiner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embobiner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of embobiner. 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 “embobiner” is “to wind up/to reel in.” The infinitive form “embobiner” is pronounced as ahn-bo-bee-nay.

The verb “embobiner” originated from the French word “bobine,” meaning “spool” or “coil.” It is often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to express the idea of winding someone up or fooling someone with words or actions. It can also mean to involve someone in a conversation or to manipulate someone into doing something.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, ma sœur m’embobinait avec ses histoires imaginaires.
    (When I was a child, my sister would wind me up with her imaginary stories.)

  2. Il nous embobinait toujours avec ses mensonges pour obtenir ce qu’il voulait.
    (He would always reel us in with his lies to get what he wanted.)

  3. Pendant la réunion, le commercial embobinait les clients pour les convaincre d’acheter le produit.
    (During the meeting, the salesperson was winding up the clients to convince them to buy the product.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of embobiner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je embobinais J’embobinais mes amis avec mes histoires. I used to trick my friends with my stories.
tu embobinais Tu embobinais tout le monde avec ta fausse innocence. You used to deceive everyone with your fake innocence.
il embobinait Il embobinait les gens pour obtenir ce qu’il voulait. He used to charm people to get what he wanted.
elle embobinait Elle embobinait son patron pour obtenir une promotion. She used to manipulate her boss to get a promotion.
on embobinait On embobinait les clients pour leur vendre des produits inutiles. We used to deceive customers to sell them useless products.
nous embobinions Nous embobinions nos parents pour sortir tard le soir. We used to fool our parents to stay out late at night.
vous embobiniez Vous embobiniez tout le monde avec vos mensonges. You used to deceive everyone with your lies.
ils embobinaient Ils embobinaient les autorités pour échapper aux sanctions. They used to deceive the authorities to escape punishment.
elles embobinaient Elles embobinaient leurs professeurs pour obtenir de meilleures notes. They used to manipulate their teachers to get better grades.

Other Conjugations for Embobiner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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