Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb emplumer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb emplumer

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The English translation of the French verb “emplumer” is “to pluck” or “to feather.” The infinitive form “emplumer” is pronounced as /ɑ̃.ply.me/.

The verb “emplumer” comes from the combination of the prefix “em-” and the noun “plume,” which means “feather” in English. It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of removing feathers from a bird or poultry.

Here are three examples of the usage of “emplumer” in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, elle emplumait les poules pour préparer le dîner.
    (Every morning, she would pluck the chickens to prepare dinner.)

  2. Nous emplumions les canards avant de les mettre au four.
    (We used to pluck the ducks before placing them in the oven.)

  3. Pendant l’été, mon grand-père emplumait les oies pour avoir des plumes pour l’oreiller.
    (During the summer, my grandfather would pluck the geese to have feathers for the pillow.)

Note: The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, or to set the scene or provide background information.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of emplumer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je emplumais J’emplumais les oiseaux. I was plucking the birds.
tu emplumais Tu emplumais ton chapeau. You were feathering your hat.
il emplumait Il emplumait le costume. He was feathering the costume.
elle emplumait Elle emplumait ses ailes. She was feathering her wings.
on emplumait On emplumait les figurines. We were feathering the figurines.
nous emplumions Nous emplumions les décorations. We were feathering the decorations.
vous emplumiez Vous emplumiez les masques. You were feathering the masks.
ils emplumaient Ils emplumaient les fleurs. They were feathering the flowers.
elles emplumaient Elles emplumaient les costumes. They were feathering the costumes.

Other Conjugations for Emplumer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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