Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encercler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encercler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of encercler. 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 “encercler” is “to encircle” or “to surround.” The infinitive form “encercler” is pronounced as [ɑ̃.sɛʁ.kle].

“Encercler” originated from the Old French word “encerclier,” which is a combination of the prefix “en-” (meaning “in” or “around”) and the word “cercler” (meaning “to circle” or “to encircle”). It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of surrounding or circling something or someone.

Here are three examples of “encercler” in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Pendant la bataille, les soldats encerclaient les ennemis. (During the battle, the soldiers were encircling the enemies.)
  2. Nous encerclions le parc pour organiser une chasse au trésor. (We were surrounding the park to organize a treasure hunt.)
  3. Les manifestants encerclaient le bâtiment pour protester contre la décision du gouvernement. (The protesters were surrounding the building to protest against the government’s decision.)

In these examples, “encercler” is used in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or continuous action in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of encercler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je encerclais J’encerclais les mots importants. I was circling the important words.
tu encerclais Tu encerclais les chiffres. You were circling the numbers.
il encerclait Il encerclait le dessin. He was circling the drawing.
elle encerclait Elle encerclait les lettres. She was circling the letters.
on encerclait On encerclait les erreurs. We were circling the mistakes.
nous encerclions Nous encerclions les endroits clés. We were circling the key places.
vous encercliez Vous encercliez les images. You were circling the images.
ils encerclaient Ils encerclaient les points importants. They were circling the important points.
elles encerclaient Elles encerclaient les phrases. They were circling the sentences.

Other Conjugations for Encercler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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