Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb badauder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb badauder

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The English translation of the French verb “badauder” is “to loiter” or “to hang around”. The infinitive form “badauder” is pronounced as bah-doh-deh.

The word “badauder” originates from the French words “badin” (playful) and “dodeliner” (to waggle). It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

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

  1. Nous badaudions près de la fontaine chaque après-midi.
    (We used to loiter near the fountain every afternoon.)

  2. Pendant nos vacances, nous badaudions le long de la plage.
    (During our vacation, we used to hang around along the beach.)

  3. Les adolescents badaudaient souvent dans le parc le soir.
    (The teenagers used to loiter in the park in the evenings.)

Please note that the translations provided are simple and may not capture the full nuance of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of badauder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je badaudais Je badaudais dans la rue. I used to stroll in the street.
tu badaudais Tu badaudais devant la vitrine. You used to loiter in front of the shop window.
il badaudait Il badaudait en regardant les monuments. He used to wander while looking at the monuments.
elle badaudait Elle badaudait dans les parcs. She used to stroll in the parks.
on badaudait On badaudait le dimanche après-midi. We used to wander on Sunday afternoons.
nous badaudions Nous badaudions en ville. We used to stroll in the city.
vous badaudiez Vous badaudiez en prenant des photos. You used to loiter while taking pictures.
ils badaudaient Ils badaudaient devant les magasins. They used to wander in front of the shops.
elles badaudaient Elles badaudaient dans les ruelles. They used to stroll in the alleyways.

Other Conjugations for Badauder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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