Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empanacher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empanacher

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of empanacher. 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 “empanacher” is “to deck out” or “to adorn”. The infinitive form of “empanacher” is pronounced as “ahm-pah-nah-shey”.

The verb “empanacher” has its origins from the word “panache” which means “plume” or “feather”. It is derived from the Old Italian word “pennacchio” which also means “plume”.

In everyday French, “empanacher” is most 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:

  1. Chaque année, elle s’empanachait de plumes colorées pour le carnaval.
    (Every year, she would deck herself out with colorful feathers for the carnival.)

  2. Il s’empanachait de bijoux et de paillettes tous les soirs avant le spectacle.
    (He would adorn himself with jewelry and glitter every night before the show.)

  3. Nous nous empanachions de drapeaux pour soutenir notre équipe de football.
    (We would deck ourselves out with flags to support our football team.)

English translations:

  1. Every year, she would deck herself out with colorful feathers for the carnival.
  2. He would adorn himself with jewelry and glitter every night before the show.
  3. We would deck ourselves out with flags to support our football team.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of empanacher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je empanachais J’empanachais mon chapeau. I used to feather my hat.
tu empanachais Tu empanachais ton costume. You used to feather your costume.
il empanachait Il empanachait son arme. He used to feather his weapon.
elle empanachait Elle empanachait sa coiffure. She used to feather her hairstyle.
on empanachait On empanachait les décorations. We used to feather the decorations.
nous empanachions Nous empanachions nos costumes. We used to feather our costumes.
vous empanachiez Vous empanachiez vos chapeaux. You used to feather your hats.
ils empanachaient Ils empanachaient leurs costumes. They used to feather their costumes.
elles empanachaient Elles empanachaient leurs coiffures. They used to feather their hairstyles.

Other Conjugations for Empanacher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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