Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aboyer

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The English translation of the French verb “aboyer” is “to bark.” The infinitive form “aboyer” is pronounced as “ah-bwah-yay.”

The verb “aboyer” comes from the Latin word “badius,” which means “to bark.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of dogs barking. However, it can also be used metaphorically to describe humans shouting or speaking loudly.

Examples of “aboyer” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Les chiens aboyaient toute la nuit. (The dogs were barking all night.)
  2. Quand j’étais enfant, le voisin aboyait sans cesse. (When I was a child, the neighbor used to bark constantly.)
  3. Pendant la réunion, les participants aboyaient leurs opinions les uns après les autres. (During the meeting, the participants were barking their opinions one after another.)

English translations:

  1. The dogs were barking all night.
  2. When I was a child, the neighbor used to bark constantly.
  3. During the meeting, the participants were barking their opinions one after another.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of aboyer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je aboyais J’aboyais souvent. I used to bark often.
tu aboyais Tu aboyais fort. You used to bark loudly.
il aboyait Il aboyait la nuit. He used to bark at night.
elle aboyait Elle aboyait après les chats. She used to bark at cats.
on aboyait On aboyait tout le temps. We used to bark all the time.
nous aboyions Nous aboyions ensemble. We used to bark together.
vous aboyiez Vous aboyiez au téléphone. You used to bark on the phone.
ils aboyaient Ils aboyaient aux étrangers. They used to bark at strangers.
elles aboyaient Elles aboyaient très fort. They used to bark very loudly.

Other Conjugations for Aboyer.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer (You’re reading it right now!)

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aboyer

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Aboyer – About the French Imparfait Tense

The French imparfait tense, often called the imperfect tense in English, is used to describe actions or states in the past. It’s primarily used to provide background information, set the scene, or describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation of the Imparfait Tense

To form the imparfait tense in French, you typically take the present tense nous form of the verb, drop the -ons ending, and add specific endings based on the verb group (regular -er, -ir, -re verbs) or use irregular forms for certain verbs.  

For regular -er verbs:

Take the infinitive form (e.g., parler, finir, rendre) Remove the -er ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient 

For regular -ir verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., choisir, grandir, finir) Remove the -ir ending Add the imparfait endings: -issais, -issais, -issait, -issions, -issiez, -issaient 

For regular -re verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., vendre, attendre, entendre) Remove the -re ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Description of Past Habits

The imparfait is often used to describe habitual actions or situations in the past. For example: “Quand j’étais enfant, je jouais au football tous les jours.” (When I was a child, I used to play football every day.) 

Background Information

It’s used to provide background information or set the stage for a main event in the past. For instance: “Il faisait beau ce jour-là.” (The weather was nice that day.) 

Mental and Emotional States

It’s employed to express emotions, thoughts, or physical sensations in the past. For example: “J’étais content quand il est arrivé.” (I was happy when he arrived.) 

Ongoing Actions

The imparfait describes actions that were in progress or happening when something else occurred in the past. For instance: “Je lisais un livre quand le téléphone a sonné.” (I was reading a book when the phone rang.)

Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense

Passé Composé vs. Imparfait

The imparfait and passé composé (a compound past tense) are often used together to express the completion of an action in the past (passé composé) and provide context or background (imparfait). For example: “Il regardait la télévision quand son ami est arrivé.” (He was watching TV when his friend arrived.) 

Conditional

The imparfait is used as the base for forming the conditional mood in French. For instance, “Je mangerais” (I would eat) is formed from “je mangeais” (I was eating). 

Si Clauses

In hypothetical or “if” clauses (si clauses), the imparfait is often used to express a condition in the past. For example: “Si j’avais de l’argent, j’achèterais une nouvelle voiture.” (If I had money, I would buy a new car.) 

Narration

In storytelling or writing, the imparfait is frequently used to set the scene and describe ongoing actions while the passé composé is used for specific events or actions that interrupted the ongoing ones.
Understanding the French imperfect tense is crucial for effective communication in French. Without it, your conversations will always live in the present!

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb aboyer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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