Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embrouiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embrouiller

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The English translation of the French verb “embrouiller” is “to confuse” or “to muddle.” The infinitive form “embrouiller” is pronounced as ahm-broo-yay.

The word “embrouiller” comes from the Old French verb “embrouillier,” which means “to tangle” or “to ravel.” It originated from the combination of the prefix “en-” (meaning “in” or “into”) and the word “brouiller” (meaning “to mix” or “to blur”).

In everyday French, the verb “embrouiller” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated confusion in the past. Here are three simple examples:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, ma mère m’embrouillait avec ses explications compliquées.
    Translation: When I was a child, my mother would confuse me with her complicated explanations.

  2. Il nous embrouillait toujours avec ses histoires contradictoires.
    Translation: He would always confuse us with his contradictory stories.

  3. Les règles de grammaire m’embrouillaient constamment, je ne les comprenais jamais.
    Translation: Grammar rules would constantly confuse me, I never understood them.

Overall, “embrouiller” is a verb that implies creating confusion or disarray, and it is commonly used to describe past situations or ongoing confusion in the imparfait tense.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of embrouiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je embrouillais J’embrouillais les fils. I was tangling the wires.
tu embrouillais Tu embrouillais les mots. You were confusing the words.
il embrouillait Il embrouillait les pistes. He was muddling the tracks.
elle embrouillait Elle embrouillait les idées. She was muddling the ideas.
on embrouillait On embrouillait les situations. We were muddling the situations.
nous embrouillions Nous embrouillions les plans. We were muddling the plans.
vous embrouilliez Vous embrouilliez les sentiments. You were confusing the feelings.
ils embrouillaient Ils embrouillaient les histoires. They were muddling the stories.
elles embrouillaient Elles embrouillaient les discussions. They were muddling the discussions.

Other Conjugations for Embrouiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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