Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encuver

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encuver

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The English translation of the French verb “encuver” is “to cover up” or “to conceal”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahn-koo-vay”.

The term “encuver” originates from the Middle French word “encovrir”, derived from the Latin “in cooperire”. In everyday French usage, “encuver” is often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It is commonly used to express the act of hiding, concealing, or covering up something.

Here are three simple examples of using “encuver” in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Je l’encouvais tous les jours.
    (I used to cover it up every day.)

  2. Ils encouvaient leurs véritables intentions.
    (They used to cover up their true intentions.)

  3. Nous encuvions nos traces pour éviter d’être découverts.
    (We used to cover up our tracks to avoid being discovered.)

Please note that the translations provided are approximate and can vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of encuver

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je encuvais J’encuvais mon café. I was pouring my coffee.
tu encuvais Tu encuvais une bouteille de vin. You were emptying a bottle of wine.
il encuvait Il encuvait les déchets. He was dumping the garbage.
elle encuvait Elle encuvait de l’eau dans le verre. She was pouring water into the glass.
on encuvait On encuvait les ordures. We were emptying the trash.
nous encuvions Nous encuvions les ingrédients. We were putting in the ingredients.
vous encuviez Vous encuviez le lait dans le bol. You were pouring milk into the bowl.
ils encuvaient Ils encuvaient les boissons. They were serving the drinks.
elles encuvaient Elles encuvaient les boissons gazeuses. They were pouring the sodas.

Other Conjugations for Encuver.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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