Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiffrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empiffrer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of empiffrer. 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 “empiffrer” is “to stuff oneself” or “to pig out”. The pronunciation of the infinitive form “empiffrer” is [ɑ̃.pi.fʁe].

The word “empiffrer” originated in the French language and is composed of the prefix “em-“, which denotes intensification, and the word “piffre” meaning “to fill one’s stomach”. It is often used in everyday French to describe the action of eating excessively or indulging in food.

Here are three examples of “empiffrer” used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je m’empiffrais de bonbons tous les jours.
    (When I was young, I used to stuff myself with candies every day.)

  2. Pendant les vacances, nous nous empiffrions de plats délicieux.
    (During the holidays, we used to pig out on delicious dishes.)

  3. Étant enfant, il s’empiffrait de gâteaux à chaque fête d’anniversaire.
    (As a child, he used to stuff himself with cakes at every birthday party.)

In these examples, the verb “empiffrer” is used in the imparfait tense to describe a habitual or repeated action in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of empiffrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je empiffrais J’empiffrais toujours trop. I used to stuff myself too much.
tu empiffrais Tu empiffrais tout le temps. You used to stuff yourself all the time.
il empiffrait Il empiffrait jusqu’à se sentir mal. He used to stuff himself until he felt sick.
elle empiffrait Elle empiffrait sans s’arrêter. She used to stuff herself without stopping.
on empiffrait On empiffrait ensemble. We used to stuff ourselves together.
nous empiffrions Nous empiffrions à chaque repas. We used to stuff ourselves at every meal.
vous empiffriez Vous empiffriez trop souvent. You used to stuff yourselves too often.
ils empiffraient Ils empiffraient beaucoup. They used to stuff themselves a lot.
elles empiffraient Elles empiffraient sans se soucier des conséquences. They used to stuff themselves without caring about the consequences.

Other Conjugations for Empiffrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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