Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encaver

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encaver

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The English translation of the French verb “encaver” is “to trap” or “to corner.” The infinitive form “encaver” is pronounced as ahn-kah-vay.

“Encaver” is derived from the combination of the prefix “en-” (meaning “in” or “into”) and the noun “cave” (meaning “cave” or “hole”). It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of trapping or cornering someone or something in a confined space.

Here are three simple examples of “encaver” used in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Nous l’encavions dans la pièce sombre.
    (We were trapping him/her in the dark room.)

  2. Tu encavais les souris dans la cage.
    (You were cornering the mice in the cage.)

  3. Les braconniers encavaient les animaux sauvages.
    (The poachers were trapping the wild animals.)

Please note that the imparfait tense indicates ongoing or repeated actions in the past, and the translations provided are in the corresponding English past continuous tense.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of encaver

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je encavais J’encavais les critiques. I used to handle the criticisms.
tu encavais Tu encavais les échecs. You used to handle the failures.
il encavait Il encavait les difficultés. He used to handle the difficulties.
elle encavait Elle encavait les problèmes. She used to handle the problems.
on encavait On encavait les obstacles. We used to handle the obstacles.
nous encavions Nous encavions les responsabilités. We used to handle the responsibilities.
vous encaviez Vous encaviez les pressions. You used to handle the pressures.
ils encavaient Ils encavaient les contraintes. They used to handle the constraints.
elles encavaient Elles encavaient les critiques. They used to handle the criticisms.

Other Conjugations for Encaver.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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