Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en approcher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb en approcher

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The English translation of the French verb “en approcher” is “to approach.” The infinitive form “en approcher” is pronounced as [ɑ̃ a.pʁɔ.ʃe].

The verb “en approcher” is composed of the preposition “en” and the verb “approcher.” It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of getting closer to something or someone physically or figuratively.

In the imparfait tense, “en approcher” indicates a continuous or repeated action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, je m’en approchais pour sentir les fleurs. (Every morning, I would approach it to smell the flowers.)
  2. Lorsqu’il avait peur, il s’en approchait pour se sentir en sécurité. (When he was scared, he would get closer to it to feel safe.)
  3. Mes amis et moi, nous nous en approchions lentement pour ne pas l’effrayer. (My friends and I would approach it slowly so as not to scare it.)

Note: The translations provided are for illustrative purposes and may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of en approcher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’approchais Je m’approchais lentement. I was approaching slowly.
tu t’approchais Tu t’approchais de moi. You were approaching me.
il s’approchait Il s’approchait du bord. He was approaching the edge.
elle s’approchait Elle s’approchait du chien. She was approaching the dog.
on s’approchait On s’approchait de la fin. We were approaching the end.
nous nous approchions Nous nous approchions du but. We were approaching the goal.
vous vous approchiez Vous vous approchiez du secret. You were approaching the secret.
ils s’approchaient Ils s’approchaient de la maison. They were approaching the house.
elles s’approchaient Elles s’approchaient l’une de l’autre. They were approaching each other.

Other Conjugations for En Approcher.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb en approcher

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

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en approcher

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

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en approcher

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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En Approcher – 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 en approcher. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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