couvrait

Couvrait is a form of the French verb couvrir. It is the third-person singular imperfect indicative (il/elle/on couvrait), used to describe ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past. The imperfect tense signals that an action was in progress or repeated over time, rather than completed at a specific moment. Other imperfect forms of couvrir include je couvrais, tu couvrais, nous couvrions, vous couvriez, ils couvraient.

In terms of conjugation, the imperfect stem for this verb is couvr-, and the standard imperfect endings are added: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. The present tense of couvrir is highly irregular, but the imperfect forms, including couvrait, follow regular patterns for -ir verbs with a root ending in -ouvr-.

Etymologically, couvrir comes from Old French covrir, itself from Latin cooperire meaning “to cover.” The word has maintained a broad range of meanings, spanning physical coverings (for example, covering a surface or object) to more figurative senses such as providing coverage or concealment.

Usage notes indicate that couvrait often appears in narrative or descriptive prose to set the scene or describe a past state. Examples include phrases like “Le brouillard couvrait la ville” (The fog was covering the city) or “Il couvrait les livres d’une housse” (He was covering the books with a cover). While related forms exist for different tenses, couvrait specifically marks an imperfect past action or condition.