Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb emparer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb emparer

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The English translation of the French verb “emparer” is “to seize” or “to take possession of.” The infinitive form of “emparer” is pronounced as [ɑ̃.pa.ʁe].

The verb “emparer” comes from the Old French word “enparer,” which derives from the Latin word “imparare,” meaning “to seize” or “to take.” In everyday French, the verb “emparer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three examples of how “emparer” can be used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Pendant la révolution, les insurgés s’emparaient des bâtiments publics.
    (During the revolution, the insurgents were seizing public buildings.)

  2. Chaque fois qu’il y avait une occasion, le chat s’emparait du canapé.
    (Every time there was an opportunity, the cat would take possession of the couch.)

  3. Mon grand-père s’emparait toujours du micro pour raconter ses anecdotes.
    (My grandfather would always grab the microphone to tell his anecdotes.)

In these examples, the verb “emparer” describes actions that were happening repeatedly or continuously in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of emparer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’emparais Je m’emparais de l’occasion. I was seizing the opportunity.
tu t’emparais Tu t’emparais de la situation. You were taking control of the situation.
il s’emparait Il s’emparait du pouvoir. He was seizing power.
elle s’emparait Elle s’emparait de mes pensées. She was taking hold of my thoughts.
on s’emparait On s’emparait de la ville. We were taking over the city.
nous nous emparions Nous nous emparions du trésor. We were seizing the treasure.
vous vous empariez Vous vous empariez du marché. You were taking over the market.
ils s’emparaient Ils s’emparaient des terres. They were seizing the lands.
elles s’emparaient Elles s’emparaient de tout. They were taking everything.

Other Conjugations for Emparer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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