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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb en ficher

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The English translation of the French verb “en ficher” is “to not care” or “to not give a damn.” The infinitive form “en ficher” is pronounced as “ah(n) fee-shay”.

The verb “en ficher” is derived from the verb “ficher,” which means “to insert” or “to stick.” The addition of the word “en” adds a negative connotation, resulting in the meaning of “not caring” or “not giving a damn.” It is an informal and colloquial expression commonly used in everyday French.

In the imparfait tense, “en ficher” is frequently used to express an ongoing or repeated lack of concern or indifference in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je m’en fichais de ses opinions. (I didn’t care about his/her opinions.)
  2. Tu t’en fichais de ce qu’il se passait. (You didn’t give a damn about what was happening.)
  3. Ils s’en fichaient de leurs devoirs. (They didn’t care about their homework.)

It’s important to note that “en ficher” is an informal expression, and its usage may vary among different contexts and individuals.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je en fichais Je n’en fichais pas. I didn’t care about it.
tu en fichais Tu n’en fichais rien. You didn’t care about it.
il en fichait Il n’en fichait pas. He didn’t care about it.
elle en fichait Elle n’en fichait rien. She didn’t care about it.
on en fichait On n’en fichait rien. We didn’t care about it.
nous en fichions Nous n’en fichions pas. We didn’t care about it.
vous en fichiez Vous n’en fichiez rien. You didn’t care about it.
ils en fichaient Ils n’en fichaient pas. They didn’t care about it.
elles en fichaient Elles n’en fichaient rien. They didn’t care about it.

Other Conjugations for En Ficher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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En Ficher – 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 ficher. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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