fondais

Fondais is the first-person singular imperfect indicative form of the French verb fonder, meaning “I founded” or “I was founding.” The imperfect tense in French describes ongoing, repeated, or background actions in the past, rather than completed acts, which are typically expressed with the passé composé or other past tenses. For example: Je fondais une entreprise quand mon partenaire est parti. This usage emphasizes the process of founding rather than its completion.

Conjugation (imparfait)

- je fondais

- tu fondais

- il/elle fondait

- nous fondions

- vous fondiez

- ils/elles fondaient

Related forms

- fonder (to found)

- present: je fonde; tu fonds; il fonde; nous fondons; vous fondez; ils fondent

- past historic: je fondai; tu fondas; il fonda; nous fondâmes; vous fondâtes; ils fondèrent

- subjunctive present: que je fonde; que tu fondes; qu’il fonde; que nous fondions; que vous fondiez; qu’ils fondent

- participles: fondant (present participle), fondé (past participle)

Etymology

Fondais derives from the French verb fonder, which in turn comes from Latin fundare, related to fundus “bottom, base” and the sense of establishing or creating a foundation. The form fondais reflects the grammatical development of the French imperfect tense.

Usage

Fondais appears in narrative, historical, or formal writing to describe the act of founding something over a period in the past. In everyday speech, speakers more often use other past tenses, such as je ai fondé, to express a completed act of founding. Fondais is not a standalone noun or place name; it is a verb form.