Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enclouer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enclouer

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The English translation of the French verb “enclouer” is “to nail.” The infinitive form “enclouer” is pronounced as [ɑ̃klu.e].

The verb “enclouer” originated from the Old French word “encloer,” which comes from the Latin word “inclavare.” It is derived from the prefix “en” (meaning “in” or “into”) and the word “clou” (meaning “nail”). Therefore, “enclouer” refers to the action of hammering nails into something.

In everyday French, the verb “enclouer” in the imparfait tense is most often used to describe ongoing or repeated nail hammering actions in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque semaine, mon grand-père enclouait des planches pour réparer la clôture.
    (Every week, my grandfather used to nail boards to repair the fence.)

  2. Nous enclouions les planches pour construire une nouvelle étagère.
    (We were nailing the boards to build a new shelf.)

  3. Ils enclouaient les tuiles sur le toit de la maison.
    (They were nailing the tiles onto the roof of the house.)

Please note that in French, the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, whereas in English, the simple past tense is commonly used for these translations.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of enclouer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je enclouais J’enclouais les planches. I was nailing the planks.
tu enclouais Tu enclouais le clou. You were nailing the nail.
il enclouait Il enclouait le bois. He was nailing the wood.
elle enclouait Elle enclouait la porte. She was nailing the door.
on enclouait On enclouait les poutres. We were nailing the beams.
nous enclouions Nous enclouions les tuiles. We were nailing the tiles.
vous enclouiez Vous enclouiez le toit. You were nailing the roof.
ils enclouaient Ils enclouaient les planches. They were nailing the planks.
elles enclouaient Elles enclouaient les clous. They were nailing the nails.

Other Conjugations for Enclouer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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