Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encombrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encombrer

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The English translation of the French verb “encombrer” is “to clutter” or “to obstruct.” The infinitive form of “encombrer” is pronounced as [ɑ̃.kɔ̃.bʁe].

The word “encombrer” comes from the Latin word “incombrare,” which means “to obstruct” or “to hinder.” In everyday French, “encombrer” is used in the imparfait tense to describe actions or situations that were ongoing or habitual in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense and their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, la chambre était encombrée de jouets.
    (Every evening, the room was cluttered with toys.)

  2. Pendant les vacances, la plage était encombrée de touristes.
    (During the holidays, the beach was crowded with tourists.)

  3. Autrefois, ma grand-mère encombrait le grenier de vieilles affaires.
    (In the past, my grandmother used to clutter the attic with old stuff.)

Please note that these translations are approximate and can vary based on the context of the sentence.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of encombrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je encombrais J’encombrais la pièce. I was cluttering the room.
tu encombrais Tu encombrais les étagères. You were cluttering the shelves.
il encombrait Il encombrait le couloir. He was cluttering the hallway.
elle encombrait Elle encombrait la table. She was cluttering the table.
on encombrait On encombrait la salle de bain. We were cluttering the bathroom.
nous encombrions Nous encombrions le garage. We were cluttering the garage.
vous encombriez Vous encombriez le placard. You were cluttering the closet.
ils encombraient Ils encombraient le jardin. They were cluttering the garden.
elles encombraient Elles encombraient le salon. They were cluttering the living room.

Other Conjugations for Encombrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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