Inscrivait

Inscrivait is the imperfect (imparfait) form of the French verb inscrire, which means to inscribe, to enroll, or to sign up on a list or register. In ordinary usage it refers to an ongoing or habitual action in the past, or to a background description within a narrative.

Etymology and meaning

The verb inscrire derives from Latin inscribere (in + scribere, “to write in/onto”). In modern French, inscrire can mean to register oneself for an activity, to enroll someone in an institution, or to inscribe something physically on a surface. The imperfect form inscritait appears in narrative or descriptive past contexts to indicate that the enrolling act was taking place over time.

Conjugation and forms

Inscrire is a regular -re verb with the imparfait endings. The imperfect forms are: je inscrivais, tu inscrivais, il/elle/on inscrivait, nous inscrivions, vous inscriviez, ils/elles inscrivaient. Therefore inscrivait specifically represents the third-person singular: il inscrivait or elle inscrivait. Other tenses related to the verb include the passé composé (j’ai inscrit), the passé simple (il inscrivit, mostly literary), the participe présent (inscrivant), and the participe passé (inscrit/inscrite).

Usage notes

Inscrivait appears primarily in written or formal narrative to describe what someone was doing as part of a past sequence. It can refer to registering for a course, signing up for a list, or recording information in a register. The noun forms related to the root include inscription (the act or result of inscribing) and inscrit/inscrite (a registered person or the past participle used as an adjective).

See also

Inscrire, s’inscrire, inscription, inscrit.