Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enchaîner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enchaîner

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The English translation of the French verb “enchaîner” is “to chain” or “to link.” The infinitive form “enchaîner” is pronounced as “ahn-shay-neh.”

The word “enchaîner” comes from the Latin word “catena,” meaning “chain.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the imparfait tense to express ongoing actions or habits in the past.

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

  1. Je l’enchaînais tous les jours pour qu’il ne s’enfuie pas.
    (I used to chain him every day so that he wouldn’t escape.)

  2. Nous enchaînions les répétitions pour parfaire notre spectacle.
    (We were practicing one after another to perfect our show.)

  3. Tu enchaînais les succès dans ta carrière de chanteur.
    (You used to achieve success one after the other in your singing career.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of enchaîner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je enchaînais J’enchaînais les tâches. I was chaining tasks.
tu enchaînais Tu enchaînais les mots. You were stringing words together.
il enchaînait Il enchaînait les victoires. He was racking up victories.
elle enchaînait Elle enchaînait les concerts. She was doing back-to-back concerts.
on enchaînait On enchaînait les répétitions. We were going through rehearsals.
nous enchaînions Nous enchaînions les exercices. We were moving from one exercise to another.
vous enchaîniez Vous enchaîniez les rencontres. You were having consecutive meetings.
ils enchaînaient Ils enchaînaient les buts. They were scoring goal after goal.
elles enchaînaient Elles enchaînaient les succès. They were achieving success one after another.

Other Conjugations for Enchaîner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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