Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encirer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encirer

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of encirer. 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 encirer is “to wax.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “encirer” is as follows: ahn-see-ray.

The word “encirer” originates from the Latin word “in” (in) and “cera” (wax), which evolved into the Old French word “encirer” meaning “to wax.” In everyday French, encirer is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe a continuous or repeated action in the past.

Three examples of encirer in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations, are:

  1. Je cirais mes chaussures tous les matins.
    (I used to wax my shoes every morning.)
  2. Tu cirais les meubles en bois régulièrement.
    (You used to wax the wooden furniture regularly.)
  3. Elle cirait les planches du parquet chaque semaine.
    (She used to wax the floorboards every week.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of encirer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je encirais J’encirais le cercle. I was encircling the circle.
tu encirais Tu encirais le dessin. You were tracing the drawing.
il encirait Il encirait la carte. He was circling the map.
elle encirait Elle encirait la lettre. She was circling the letter.
on encirait On encirait le mot. We were encircling the word.
nous encirions Nous encirions le texte. We were underlining the text.
vous enciriez Vous enciriez le tableau. You were circling the board.
ils enciraient Ils enciraient les numéros. They were encircling the numbers.
elles enciraient Elles enciraient les lignes. They were circling the lines.

Other Conjugations for Encirer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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