Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encabaner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encabaner

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The English translation of the French verb “encabaner” is “to put someone in a cabin” or “to confine someone.”

To pronounce the infinitive form of “encabaner,” you would say “ahn-ka-ba-neh.”

“Encabaner” is derived from the combination of the prefix “en-” (indicating a movement or action towards something) and the word “cabaner” (meaning “to put in a cabin”). The verb is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe a recurring or ongoing action in the past.

Examples of “encabaner” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque soir, je l’encabanais dans sa chambre. (Every evening, I used to put him in his room.)
  2. Pendant les vacances, mes parents m’encabanaient dans notre petite maison au bord du lac. (During vacations, my parents used to confine me in our small house by the lake.)
  3. Les gardiens encabanaient les prisonniers dans leurs cellules chaque soir. (The guards used to put the prisoners into their cells every evening.)

English translations:

  1. Every evening, I used to put him in his room.
  2. During vacations, my parents used to confine me in our small house by the lake.
  3. The guards used to put the prisoners into their cells every evening.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of encabaner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je encabanais J’encabanais les fournitures. I was packing up the supplies.
tu encabanais Tu encabanais les affaires. You were packing up the belongings.
il encabanait Il encabanait les livres. He was packing up the books.
elle encabanait Elle encabanait les vêtements. She was packing up the clothes.
on encabanait On encabanait les souvenirs. We were packing up the memories.
nous encabanions Nous encabanions les valises. We were packing up the suitcases.
vous encabaniez Vous encabaniez les objets fragiles. You were packing up the fragile items.
ils encabanaient Ils encabanaient les cartons. They were packing up the boxes.
elles encabanaient Elles encabanaient les décorations. They were packing up the decorations.

Other Conjugations for Encabaner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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