Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enceinter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enceinter

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The English translation of the French verb “enceinter” is “to surround” or “to enclose.” The infinitive form of “enceinter” is pronounced as “awn-sawn-teh.”

The verb “enceinter” comes from the Latin word “includere,” meaning “to include” or “to enclose.” It is often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense, which expresses ongoing or repeated actions in the past. In this tense, “enceinter” can describe the action of surrounding or enclosing something, often implying a defensive or protective measure.

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

  1. Nous enceintions la ville avec des barricades.
    (We were surrounding the city with barricades.)
  2. Les soldats enceintaient le château pour se protéger.
    (The soldiers were enclosing the castle to protect themselves.)
  3. Les murs enceintaient le jardin dans mon enfance.
    (The walls were surrounding the garden in my childhood.)

Please note that these translations are just examples to showcase the usage of “enceinter” in the imparfait tense and might vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of enceinter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je enceintais J’enceintais mon enfant. I was pregnant with my child.
tu enceintais Tu enceintais ta sœur. You were pregnant with your sister.
il enceintait Il enceintait sa femme. He was pregnant with his wife.
elle enceintait Elle enceintait son mari. She was pregnant with her husband.
on enceintait On enceintait leur bébé. We were pregnant with their baby.
nous enceintions Nous enceintions nos jumeaux. We were pregnant with our twins.
vous enceintiez Vous enceintiez votre fille. You were pregnant with your daughter.
ils enceintaient Ils enceintaient leurs enfants. They were pregnant with their children.
elles enceintaient Elles enceintaient leurs petits-enfants. They were pregnant with their grandchildren.

Other Conjugations for Enceinter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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