Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Introduction to the verb empiéger
The English translation of the French verb “empiéger” is “to trap” or “to ensnare”. The infinitive form “empiéger” is pronounced as [ɑ̃.pje.ʒe].
The word “empiéger” comes from the Old French verb “empieger” which means “to put in a cage” or “to enclose”. It is derived from the Latin word “impedicare” which means “to entangle” or “to ensnare”. In everyday French, “empiéger” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to express ongoing or repeated actions in the past.
Here are three simple examples of how “empiéger” is used in the imparfait tense:
- Quand j’étais enfant, j’empiégeais des oiseaux dans le jardin. (When I was a child, I used to trap birds in the garden.)
- Ils empiégeaient les animaux sauvages pour les étudier. (They were trapping wild animals to study them.)
- Nous empiégions les souris qui infestaient notre maison. (We were trapping the mice that were infesting our house.)
In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual trapping actions that took place in the past.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of empiéger
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | empiégeais | J’empiégeais les souris. | I was trapping the mice. |
tu | empiégeais | Tu empiégeais les oiseaux. | You were trapping the birds. |
il | empiégeait | Il empiégeait le renard. | He was trapping the fox. |
elle | empiégeait | Elle empiégeait les lapins. | She was trapping the rabbits. |
on | empiégeait | On empiégeait les animaux. | We were trapping the animals. |
nous | empiégions | Nous empiégions les insectes. | We were trapping the insects. |
vous | empiégiez | Vous empiégiez les rats. | You were trapping the rats. |
ils | empiégeaient | Ils empiégeaient les rongeurs. | They were trapping the rodents. |
elles | empiégeaient | Elles empiégeaient les taupes. | They were trapping the moles. |
Other Conjugations for Empiéger.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéger
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Empiéger – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb empiéger. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!