moulaient

Moulaient is the imperfect tense form of the French verb mouler, used with ils/elles. It conveys that they were shaping or forming something in a mold during a past period, or that molding was a habitual action in the past. As an imperfect, it indicates ongoing action rather than a completed act.

Etymology and form: Mouler comes from Old French mouler, which in turn traces to Latin moldare or a similar root meaning to fashion or shape. Mouler is a regular -er verb in its conjugation, so the imperfect endings follow the standard pattern: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient; thus moulaient corresponds to ils/elles moulaient.

Usage: In everyday French, mouler can describe sculpting, casting in metal or plastic, or shaping clay, dough, or other pliable materials. The imperfect form moulaient emphasizes that the molding occurred over a period in the past or as a repeated past activity. In industrial or artistic contexts, the noun moulage or moulage refers to the process or result of making a mold, while mouler describes the act of filling and shaping within that mold.

Examples: Ils moulaient des statues en bronze pour une exposition. The artisans moulaient des biscuits dans des moules pour la production en série. Translation: They were molding statues; they were shaping cookies in molds.

See also: moule, moulage, moulage in sculpture and manufacturing.