Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encaustiquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encaustiquer

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The English translation of the French verb “encaustiquer” is “to wax/to polish.” The infinitive form of “encaustiquer” is pronounced as ahn-kohs-teek-ay.

The language origin of “encaustiquer” is derived from the French noun “caustique” meaning “caustic.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of applying wax or polish to an object to make it shine or protect its surface.

Examples of “encaustiquer” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations, are as follows:

  1. Chaque semaine, j’encaustiquais mes chaussures. (Every week, I used to polish my shoes.)
  2. Nous encaustiquions les meubles en bois pour les garder brillants. (We used to wax the wooden furniture to keep them shiny.)
  3. Pendant les vacances, mes parents encaustiquaient toujours la voiture. (During the holidays, my parents would always wax the car.)

Note: The imparfait tense in French is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of encaustiquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je encaustiquais J’encaustiquais le meuble. I was waxing the furniture.
tu encaustiquais Tu encaustiquais les chaussures. You were polishing the shoes.
il encaustiquait Il encaustiquait le plancher. He was waxing the floor.
elle encaustiquait Elle encaustiquait la voiture. She was waxing the car.
on encaustiquait On encaustiquait les meubles. We were waxing the furniture.
nous encaustiquions Nous encaustiquions le parquet. We were waxing the wooden floor.
vous encaustiquiez Vous encaustiquiez les surfaces. You were waxing the surfaces.
ils encaustiquaient Ils encaustiquaient les objets. They were waxing the objects.
elles encaustiquaient Elles encaustiquaient les sols. They were waxing the floors.

Other Conjugations for Encaustiquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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