Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encliqueter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encliqueter

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The English translation of the French verb “encliqueter” is “to latch.” The infinitive form is pronounced as ahn-klee-ket-ay.

The word “encliqueter” comes from the combination of the prefix “en-” (meaning “in” or “into”) and the word “cliqueter” (meaning “to click” or “to clack”). It’s most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of latching or clicking something into place.

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

  1. Chaque fois que je sortais de la maison, je m’encliquetais le loquet de la porte.
    (Every time I used to leave the house, I would latch the door bolt.)

  2. Nous avions l’habitude d’encliqueter les valises avant de partir en voyage.
    (We used to latch our suitcases before going on a trip.)

  3. Elle s’encliquetais toujours sa ceinture de sécurité dès qu’elle entrait dans la voiture.
    (She used to always latch her seatbelt as soon as she got in the car.)

Note: In the imparfait tense, the verb “encliqueter” is conjugated differently depending on the subject of the sentence and the context. The above examples are in the first and third person plural forms.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of encliqueter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je encliquetais J’encliquetais la porte. I was latching the door.
tu encliquetais Tu encliquetais la fenêtre. You were latching the window.
il encliquetait Il encliquetait le tiroir. He was latching the drawer.
elle encliquetait Elle encliquetait la valise. She was latching the suitcase.
on encliquetait On encliquetait les volets. We were latching the shutters.
nous encliquetions Nous encliquetions les portes. We were latching the doors.
vous encliquetiez Vous encliquetiez les coffres. You were latching the chests.
ils encliquetaient Ils encliquetaient les serrures. They were latching the locks.
elles encliquetaient Elles encliquetaient les portails. They were latching the gates.

Other Conjugations for Encliqueter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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