Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb emperler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb emperler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of emperler. 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 emperler is “to string pearls.” The infinitive form “emperler” is pronounced as [ɑ̃.pɛʁ.le].

Emperler is derived from the combination of the prefix “en-” and the noun “perle” (meaning “pearl” in English). It is used in everyday French to describe the action of threading pearls onto a string or wire to create a necklace, bracelet, or other jewelry. However, it can also be used figuratively to describe the act of stringing together words or ideas in a poetic or eloquent manner.

In the imparfait tense (imperfect tense), emperler is often used to describe a past habitual action or a continuous action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque soir, elle emperlait des perles pour créer de magnifiques bijoux.
    (Every evening, she would string pearls to create beautiful jewelry.)

  2. Pendant son voyage, elle emperlait ses pensées pour écrire des poèmes.
    (During her trip, she was stringing her thoughts to write poems.)

  3. L’artiste emperlait les mots avec soin pour composer des chansons touchantes.
    (The artist was carefully stringing the words together to compose touching songs.)

English translations:

  1. Every evening, she would string pearls to create beautiful jewelry.
  2. During her trip, she was stringing her thoughts to write poems.
  3. The artist was carefully stringing the words together to compose touching songs.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of emperler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je emperlais J’emperlais le collier. I was threading the beads.
tu emperles Tu emperles les perles. You were stringing the pearls.
il emperlait Il emperlait le bracelet. He was beading the bracelet.
elle emperlait Elle emperlait la broche. She was embroidering the brooch.
on emperlait On emperlait les épingles. We were threading the pins.
nous emperlions Nous emperlions les bijoux. We were beading the jewelry.
vous emperliez Vous emperliez les colliers. You were stringing the necklaces.
ils emperlaient Ils emperlaient les boucles d’oreilles. They were beading the earrings.
elles emperlaient Elles emperlaient les bracelets. They were threading the bracelets.

Other Conjugations for Emperler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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