Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encadrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encadrer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of encadrer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “encadrer” is “to frame” or “to surround”. The infinitive form “encadrer” is pronounced as “ahn-kah-dreh”.

The verb “encadrer” originated from the Old French word “encadrer” which means “to put a frame around”. In everyday French, “encadrer” is commonly used to express the action of framing something, both in a physical and figurative sense. It can refer to the act of putting a frame around a picture, organizing a group of people, or providing guidance or support to someone.

Examples of “encadrer” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, mon père m’encadrait dans tout ce que je faisais.
    (When I was a child, my father would guide me in everything I did.)

  2. L’institutrice encadrait les enfants pendant leurs activités artistiques.
    (The teacher was supervising the children during their artistic activities.)

  3. Nous encadrions les nouveaux employés pour les aider à s’adapter à l’environnement de travail.
    (We were supporting the new employees to help them adapt to the work environment.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of encadrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je encadrais J’encadrais les étudiants. I was supervising the students.
tu encadrais Tu encadrais l’équipe. You were leading the team.
il encadrait Il encadrait le projet. He was overseeing the project.
elle encadrait Elle encadrait les employés. She was supervising the employees.
on encadrait On encadrait les participants. We were supervising the participants.
nous encadrions Nous encadrions les enfants. We were guiding the children.
vous encadriez Vous encadriez les stagiaires. You were mentoring the interns.
ils encadraient Ils encadraient les équipes. They were leading the teams.
elles encadraient Elles encadraient les volontaires. They were supervising the volunteers.

Other Conjugations for Encadrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the encadrer imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply