Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bâcler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bâcler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of bâcler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “bâcler” is “to rush” or “to botch”. The infinitive form of “bâcler” is pronounced as “bah-klay”.

The word “bâcler” originated from the French word “baceler” which means “to hackle” or “to rush”. It comes from the Old French word “baceler” which referred to the action of cutting wood with a hatchet. Over time, the meaning of “bâcler” evolved to include the idea of doing something quickly and carelessly.

In everyday French, “bâcler” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe habitual or continuous actions in the past. It emphasizes the notion of rushing or doing something hastily without paying attention to details.

Here are three examples of using “bâcler” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, il bâclait son travail avant de partir. (Every morning, he used to rush through his work before leaving.)
  2. Pendant mes études, je bâclais souvent mes devoirs. (During my studies, I often rushed through my homework.)
  3. Les ouvriers bâclaient leur travail et ne respectaient pas les normes de sécurité. (The workers were rushing through their work and not following safety standards.)

Note: It’s important to mention that while “bâcler” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, it can also be used in other tenses such as the passé composé or the présent tense depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bâcler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bâclais Je bâclais mon travail. I was rushing my work.
tu bâclais Tu bâclais tes devoirs. You were rushing your homework.
il bâclait Il bâclait son projet. He was rushing his project.
elle bâclait Elle bâclait sa présentation. She was rushing her presentation.
on bâclait On bâclait nos tâches. We were rushing our tasks.
nous bâclions Nous bâclions nos devoirs. We were rushing our homework.
vous bâcliez Vous bâcliez vos projets. You were rushing your projects.
ils bâclaient Ils bâclaient leurs rapports. They were rushing their reports.
elles bâclaient Elles bâclaient leurs présentations. They were rushing their presentations.

Other Conjugations for Bâcler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bâcler – 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 bâcler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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