il montait

was rising, was coming up, was climbing, was going up, was putting up

→ monter
mont to ride (a bicycle) + ait il/elle imperfect conjugation
verb · 3rd-person singular, imperfect tense Rare #28,878
was rising, was coming up
FR: La fumée montait dans le ciel.
EN: The smoke was rising into the sky.
was climbing, was going up
FR: Il montait l’escalier lentement.
EN: He was going up the stairs slowly.
was putting up
FR: Elle montait les décorations dans le salon.
EN: She was putting up the decorations in the living room.
Conjugation of monter
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
First montais —
Second montais montiez
Third montait montaient

De la fumée montait de la cheminée.

Smoke was rising from the chimney.

La fumée montait par la cheminée.

Smoke rose up the chimney.

Mais pendant qu'il descendait pas devant, elle montait par la porte de derrière.

But while he wasn’t getting off at the front, she was getting on through the back door.

— Pierrot le Fou (1965)

On montait les décorations de Noël.

We were putting up the Christmas decorations.

La fumée montait dans la cheminée.

Smoke rose up the chimney.

Le train n'avait pas stoppé qu'un monsieur montait, suivi de plusieurs hommes.

The train had barely stopped when a man got on, followed by several other men.

L'homme montait à cheval.

The man was riding a horse.

Il montait dans le métro.

He was getting on the subway.

— Blow Out (1981)

Il montait sur les tables et tenait des discours enragés.

He would climb onto the tables and deliver furious speeches.

— Le Conformiste (1971)

Il est devenu de plus en plus humble alors qu'il montait l'échelle sociale.

He became more and more humble as he climbed the social ladder.

Deux heures plus tard, le pilote montait à bord du Mongolia.

Two hours later, the pilot boarded the Mongolia.

Derrière son calme apparent, une grande colère montait.

Behind his apparent calm, a great anger was rising.

La neige montait jusqu'au genou.

The snow came up to my knees.