Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encelluler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encelluler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of encelluler. 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 “encelluler” is “to imprison” or “to lock up.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “encelluler” is: ahn-seh-lyuh-leh.

The word “encelluler” is derived from the French noun “cellule,” which means “cell” or “prison cell” in English. It is used in everyday French to convey the action of putting someone in prison or to describe the act of locking someone up.

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

  1. Mes parents m’encellulaient chaque fois que je rentrais tard.
    (My parents would imprison me every time I came home late.)

  2. Pendant la guerre, les soldats encellulaient les prisonniers de manière abusive.
    (During the war, the soldiers would lock up the prisoners in an abusive manner.)

  3. L’État encellulait les opposants politiques pour les faire taire.
    (The state would imprison political opponents to silence them.)

In these examples, “encelluler” is used in the imparfait tense to describe a repeated or ongoing action in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of encelluler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je encellulais J’encellulais les documents. I was putting documents in cells.
tu encellulais Tu encellulais les objets. You were putting objects in cells.
il encellulait Il encellulait les fichiers. He was putting files in cells.
elle encellulait Elle encellulait les dossiers. She was putting folders in cells.
on encellulait On encellulait les données. We were putting data in cells.
nous encellulions Nous encellulions les informations. We were putting information in cells.
vous encelluliez Vous encelluliez les rapports. You were putting reports in cells.
ils encellulaient Ils encellulaient les chiffres. They were putting numbers in cells.
elles encellulaient Elles encellulaient les statistiques. They were putting statistics in cells.

Other Conjugations for Encelluler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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