Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enchevêtrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enchevêtrer

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The English translation of the French verb “enchevêtrer” is “to interweave” or “to tangle.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahn-sheh-vet-ray.”

The word “enchevêtrer” originates from the Old French word “chevetrer,” which means “to intertwine” or “to interlace.” It is derived from the Latin verb “vexare,” which means “to entangle.”

In everyday French, the verb “enchevêtrer” is often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It denotes the idea of interweaving or tangling something over a period of time.

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

  1. Je m’enchevêtrais toujours dans mes problèmes.
    (I would always get tangled up in my problems.)
  2. Les fils électriques s’enchevêtraient constamment derrière le bureau.
    (The electrical wires would constantly get tangled behind the desk.)
  3. Pendant la répétition, les idées du metteur en scène s’enchevêtraient sans cesse.
    (During the rehearsal, the director’s ideas would continuously interweave.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of enchevêtrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je enchevêtrais J’enchevêtrais les fils. I was tangling the threads.
tu enchevêtrais Tu enchevêtrais les câbles. You were entangling the cables.
il enchevêtrait Il enchevêtrait les branches. He was intertwining the branches.
elle enchevêtrait Elle enchevêtrait les rubans. She was entwining the ribbons.
on enchevêtrait On enchevêtrait les cordes. We were tangling the ropes.
nous enchevêtrions Nous enchevêtrions les fils. We were tangling the threads.
vous enchevêtriez Vous enchevêtriez les câbles. You were entangling the cables.
ils enchevêtraient Ils enchevêtraient les branches. They were intertwining the branches.
elles enchevêtraient Elles enchevêtraient les rubans. They were entwining the ribbons.

Other Conjugations for Enchevêtrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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