Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empresser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empresser

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The English translation of the French verb “empresser” is “to hurry” or “to hasten”. The infinitive form “empresser” is pronounced as ahm-presh-seh in French.

The verb “empresser” originates from the Old French word “empressier” which means “to press upon” or “to urge”. It is derived from the Latin word “imprimere”, meaning “to impress” or “to imprint”.

In everyday French, the verb “empresser” is primarily used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It is often used to express a sense of urgency, speed, or haste.

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

  1. Chaque matin, je m’empressais de me préparer pour le travail.
    (Every morning, I used to hurry to get ready for work.)

  2. Nous nous empressions de terminer nos devoirs avant le dîner.
    (We used to hurry to finish our homework before dinner.)

  3. Les enfants s’empressaient de ranger leurs jouets avant l’arrivée des invités.
    (The children used to hurry to tidy up their toys before the guests arrived.)

Please note that the translations provided are not literal translations but rather convey the intended meaning in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of empresser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’empressais Je m’empressais de partir. I was in a hurry to leave.
tu t’empressais Tu t’empressais de répondre. You were eager to answer.
il s’empressait Il s’empressait de partir. He was rushing to leave.
elle s’empressait Elle s’empressait d’arriver. She was hurrying to arrive.
on s’empressait On s’empressait de finir. We were rushing to finish.
nous nous empressions Nous nous empressions de partir. We were in a hurry to leave.
vous vous empressiez Vous vous empressiez de répondre. You were eager to answer.
ils s’empressaient Ils s’empressaient de partir. They were rushing to leave.
elles s’empressaient Elles s’empressaient de finir. They were rushing to finish.

Other Conjugations for Empresser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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