Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encager

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encager

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The English translation of the French verb “encager” is “to cage” or “to imprison.”

The infinitive form “encager” is pronounced as [ɑ̃.ka.ʒe].

Encager is derived from the French word “cage,” meaning “cage.” It is primarily used in the context of physical confinement or imprisonment. In everyday French, the verb is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of encager in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Pendant des années, le dictateur encageait ses opposants politiques.
    (For years, the dictator would cage his political opponents.)

  2. L’équipe de basket encageait ses adversaires en défense.
    (The basketball team would cage their opponents on defense.)

  3. La société encageait les animaux sauvages pour les exposer au public.
    (The company would cage wild animals to exhibit them to the public.)

Note: While the translations above provide a general understanding, it’s important to consider the context and nuances when using and translating verbs like “encager.”

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of encager

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je encageais J’encageais les animaux. I was caging the animals.
tu encageais Tu encageais les oiseaux. You were caging the birds.
il encageait Il encageait les serpents. He was caging the snakes.
elle encageait Elle encageait les lions. She was caging the lions.
on encageait On encageait les animaux sauvages. We were caging the wild animals.
nous encagions Nous encagions les singes. We were caging the monkeys.
vous encagiez Vous encagiez les tigres. You were caging the tigers.
ils encageaient Ils encageaient les pandas. They were caging the pandas.
elles encageaient Elles encageaient les ours. They were caging the bears.

Other Conjugations for Encager.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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