variaient

Variaient is the imperfect tense form of the French verb varier, meaning they varied or they used to vary. It is used to describe ongoing or repeated variation in the past, with a plural subject.

The verb varier comes from Latin varius, meaning different or varied, and shares its meaning with related Romance languages. In French, varier is a regular -er verb, and its imperfect endings follow the standard pattern for this group.

In the imperfect tense, the forms are: je variais, tu variais, il/elle variait, nous variions, vous variiez, ils/elles variaient. The base of the imperfect is vari-, to which the endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient are attached.

Usage notes include that variaient appears in narrative and descriptive contexts to indicate past variability across subjects or over time. It can describe fluctuations in measurements, prices, opinions, or conditions within a past timeframe. Because it is a conjugated form, variaient is not used as a standalone word outside of a sentence.

Example: Les prix variaient selon la région et les saisons. Another example: Les températures variaient tout au long de la journée.

Related entries include the present tense varier (they vary), its other past tenses, and the broader concept of variation in French grammar. As a common verb form, variaient is encountered in literature, journalism, and historical texts to convey past patterns of change.