Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb emmerder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb emmerder

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The English translation of the French verb “emmerder” is “to annoy” or “to bother.” The infinitive form of “emmerder” is pronounced as [ɑ̃m.ɛʁ.de].

The word “emmerder” comes from the French word “merde,” meaning “shit.” The prefix “em-” intensifies the meaning, so “emmerder” can be understood as “to really bother” or “to give a hard time.” In everyday French, this verb is often used to express annoyance, frustration, or irritation. It is considered quite strong and vulgar, so it should be used with caution.

Here are three simple examples of “emmerder” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, ma petite sœur m’emmerdait tout le temps.
    (When I was young, my little sister used to annoy me all the time.)

  2. Les voisins bruyants nous emmerdaient chaque nuit.
    (The noisy neighbors used to bother us every night.)

  3. Mon patron m’emmerdait en me donnant des tâches impossibles à réaliser.
    (My boss used to annoy me by giving me impossible tasks to complete.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of emmerder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je emmerdais J’emmerdais tout le monde. I was pissing everyone off.
tu emmerdais Tu m’emmerdais souvent. You used to piss me off often.
il emmerdait Il emmerdait son voisin. He used to piss off his neighbor.
elle emmerdait Elle emmerdait son patron. She used to piss off her boss.
on emmerdait On emmerdait les gens. We used to piss people off.
nous emmerdions Nous emmerdions les professeurs. We used to piss off the teachers.
vous emmerdiez Vous m’emmerdiez toujours. You used to always piss me off.
ils emmerdaient Ils emmerdaient les passants. They used to piss off the passersby.
elles emmerdaient Elles emmerdaient leurs parents. They used to piss off their parents.

Other Conjugations for Emmerder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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