Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empoisser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empoisser

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The English translation of the French verb “empoisser” is “to make sticky” or “to stick together.” The infinitive form “empoisser” is pronounced as [ɑ̃.pwɑ.se].

The verb “empoisser” comes from the French word “poix,” which means “pitch” or “tar.” It is derived from the Latin word “pix.” In everyday French, “empoisser” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe actions or situations that were ongoing or habitual in the past.

Here are three simple examples of using “empoisser” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je m’empoissais toujours les doigts en mangeant du miel.
    (When I was young, I would always make my fingers sticky when eating honey.)

  2. Les enfants s’empoissaient les mains en jouant avec la pâte à modeler.
    (The children would make their hands sticky while playing with modeling clay.)

  3. Pendant les chaudes journées d’été, la route s’empoissait et les voitures glissaient.
    (During hot summer days, the road would become sticky, and cars would slide.)

English translations:

  1. When I was young, I always made my fingers sticky when eating honey.
  2. The children would make their hands sticky while playing with modeling clay.
  3. During hot summer days, the road would become sticky, and cars would slide.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of empoisser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je empoissais J’empoissais mes mains. I was smearing my hands.
tu empoissais Tu empoissais tes vêtements. You were staining your clothes.
il empoissait Il empoissait la table. He was sticking the table.
elle empoissait Elle empoissait ses chaussures. She was gluing her shoes.
on empoissait On empoissait les papiers. We were gumming the papers.
nous empoissions Nous empoissions la surface. We were muddying the surface.
vous empoissiez Vous empoissiez les murs. You were smearing the walls.
ils empoissaient Ils empoissaient leurs mains. They were staining their hands.
elles empoissaient Elles empoissaient les objets. They were sticking the objects.

Other Conjugations for Empoisser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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