Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb endimancher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb endimancher

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The English translation of the French verb “endimancher” is “to dress up” or “to get dolled up.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahn-dee-mahn-shay.”

The word “endimancher” is derived from the combination of two words: “en” (which means “in”) and “dimanche” (which means “Sunday”). It originally referred to dressing up in one’s best clothes for Sunday Mass or for special occasions. However, its usage has evolved, and it is now used to describe dressing up or getting dressed in a formal or elegant manner for any event or occasion.

In everyday French, the verb “endimancher” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe actions or states in the past that were repeated or ongoing. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Je m’endimanchais chaque fois que j’allais chez ma grand-mère.
    (I would dress up every time I went to my grandmother’s.)

  2. Quand j’étais petite, ma mère m’endimanchait pour les fêtes de famille.
    (When I was little, my mother would dress me up for family gatherings.)

  3. Les femmes du village s’endimanchaient pour assister au bal annuel.
    (The women from the village would dress up to attend the annual ball.)

Please note that the imparfait tense in French is often used to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past, rather than a specific event or point in time.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of endimancher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je endimanchais Je m’endimanchais pour la messe. I used to dress up for church.
tu endimanchais Tu t’endimanchais pour les fêtes. You used to dress up for holidays.
il endimanchait Il s’endimanchait pour les occasions spéciales. He used to dress up for special occasions.
elle endimanchait Elle s’endimanchait pour les soirées élégantes. She used to dress up for elegant evenings.
on endimanchait On s’endimanchait pour les célébrations. We used to dress up for celebrations.
nous endimanchions Nous nous endimanchions pour les mariages. We used to dress up for weddings.
vous endimanchiez Vous vous endimanchiez pour les dîners chics. You used to dress up for fancy dinners.
ils endimanchaient Ils s’endimanchaient pour les cérémonies. They used to dress up for ceremonies.
elles endimanchaient Elles s’endimanchaient pour les soirées formelles. They used to dress up for formal evenings.

Other Conjugations for Endimancher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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