Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encloîtrer

Introduction to the verb encloîtrer

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The English translation of the French verb “encloîtrer” is “to cloister” or “to seclude.” The infinitive form is pronounced as ahn-klow-ee-trer.

The verb “encloîtrer” has its origins in the Latin word “claustrum,” which means “enclosure” or “cloister.” It is often used in everyday French to refer to the action of isolating oneself or confining oneself in seclusion or solitude.

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

  1. Chaque jour, elle s’encloîtrait dans sa chambre pour lire ses livres préférés.
    Translation: Every day, she would cloister herself in her room to read her favorite books.

  2. Les moines s’encloîtraient dans le monastère pour se consacrer à la prière et à la méditation.
    Translation: The monks would cloister themselves in the monastery to devote themselves to prayer and meditation.

  3. Durant l’hiver, il s’encloîtrait chez lui, refusant de sortir à cause du froid.
    Translation: During winter, he would seclude himself at home, refusing to go out because of the cold.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of encloîtrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je enfermais J’enfermais le chat. I was locking up the cat.
tu enfermais Tu enfermais les oiseaux. You were locking up the birds.
il enfermait Il enfermait le chien. He was locking up the dog.
elle enfermait Elle enfermait le lapin. She was locking up the rabbit.
on enfermait On enfermait les souris. We were locking up the mice.
nous enfermions Nous enfermions les poissons. We were locking up the fish.
vous enfermiez Vous enfermiez les tortues. You were locking up the turtles.
ils enfermaient Ils enfermaient les lions. They were locking up the lions.
elles enfermaient Elles enfermaient les tigres. They were locking up the tigers.

Other Conjugations for Encloîtrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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