Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embouteiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embouteiller

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The English translation of the French verb embouteiller is “to bottle” or “to congest.” The infinitive form “embouteiller” is pronounced as [ɑ̃.bu.tɛ.je].

The word embouteiller has its origin in the combination of the prefix “en-” and the noun “bouteille” (bottle), forming a verb that means “to put in bottles” or “to bottle.” It can also be used in a figurative sense to mean “to congest” or “to cause a traffic jam.”

In everyday French, the verb embouteiller is often used in the imparfait tense 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 jour, les embouteillages embouteillaient les rues de la ville.
    (Every day, traffic congestion used to bottle up the streets of the city.)

  2. Quand il pleuvait, la circulation s’embouteillait rapidement.
    (When it rained, traffic would quickly bottle up.)

  3. Pendant les heures de pointe, la route principale s’embouteillait régulièrement.
    (During rush hours, the main road would regularly get congested.)

Please note that the translations provided are approximate and may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of embouteiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je embouteillais J’embouteillais la route. I was bottling up the road.
tu embouteillais Tu embouteillais les bouteilles. You were bottling up the bottles.
il embouteillait Il embouteillait le vin. He was bottling up the wine.
elle embouteillait Elle embouteillait la confiture. She was bottling up the jam.
on embouteillait On embouteillait les conserves. We were bottling up the preserves.
nous embouteillions Nous embouteillions le jus. We were bottling up the juice.
vous embouteilliez Vous embouteilliez les sauces. You were bottling up the sauces.
ils embouteillaient Ils embouteillaient le soda. They were bottling up the soda.
elles embouteillaient Elles embouteillaient les produits. They were bottling up the products.

Other Conjugations for Embouteiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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