Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arc-bouter

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The English translation of the French verb “arc-bouter” is “to brace oneself.” The infinitive form “arc-bouter” is pronounced as “ark-boo-teh.”

The verb “arc-bouter” originated from two Old French words: “arc,” meaning “arch,” and “bouter,” meaning “to push.” It refers to the action of bracing oneself or pushing against something, often in a physical sense.

In everyday French, “arc-bouter” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe continuous or habitual actions in the past. It conveys the idea of someone pushing against or bracing themselves against a force or an obstacle.

Here are three examples of “arc-bouter” in the imparfait tense and their English translations:

  1. Pendant l’orage, le vieux chêne s’arc-boutait contre le vent.
    (During the storm, the old oak tree braced itself against the wind.)

  2. Les ouvriers s’arc-boutaient pour maintenir l’équilibre du mur en construction.
    (The workers braced themselves to maintain the balance of the wall being built.)

  3. Chaque fois qu’il plongeait, le nageur s’arc-boutait pour atteindre la profondeur.
    (Every time he dived, the swimmer braced himself to reach the depth.)

These examples demonstrate how “arc-bouter” is used in the imparfait tense to portray ongoing actions or habitual behaviors in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of arc-bouter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je arc-boutais J’arc-boutais mes pieds. I was bracing my feet.
tu arc-boutais Tu arc-boutais tes bras. You were bracing your arms.
il arc-boutait Il arc-boutait son dos. He was bracing his back.
elle arc-boutait Elle arc-boutait sa tête. She was bracing her head.
on arc-boutait On arc-boutait notre corps. We were bracing our body.
nous arc-boutions Nous arc-boutions nos jambes. We were bracing our legs.
vous arc-boutiez Vous arc-boutiez vos épaules. You were bracing your shoulders.
ils arc-boutaient Ils arc-boutaient leurs mains. They were bracing their hands.
elles arc-boutaient Elles arc-boutaient leurs corps. They were bracing their bodies.

Other Conjugations for Arc-Bouter.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

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

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

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

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

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

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

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Arc-Bouter – 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 arc-bouter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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