Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empalmer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empalmer

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The English translation of the French verb “empalmer” is “to palm.” The infinitive form of “empalmer” is pronounced as “ahn-pahl-meh.”

“Empalmer” is derived from the Old French word “palm” meaning “palm of the hand.” In everyday French, it is most commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It is often used to talk about actions that were habitual, continuous, or descriptive in the past.

Here are three simple examples of “empalmer” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je l’empalmais chaque fois que je le croisais.
    (I would palm it every time I saw him.)

  2. Tu empalmais les cartes pour tricher.
    (You used to palm the cards to cheat.)

  3. Il empalmait toujours les objets pour les cacher.
    (He would always palm objects to hide them.)

Note: The translations provided are approximate and can vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of empalmer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je empalmais J’empalmais les cartes. I was palming the cards.
tu empalmais Tu empalmais l’argent. You were palming the money.
il empalmait Il empalmait la balle. He was palming the ball.
elle empalmait Elle empalmait le livre. She was palming the book.
on empalmait On empalmait le cadeau. We were palming the gift.
nous empalmions Nous empalmions les pièces. We were palming the coins.
vous empalmiez Vous empalmiez les clés. You were palming the keys.
ils empalmaient Ils empalmaient les objets. They were palming the objects.
elles empalmaient Elles empalmaient les documents. They were palming the documents.

Other Conjugations for Empalmer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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