Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb baffer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb baffer

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The English translation of the French verb baffer is “to slap” or “to smack.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bah-fey.”

The word “baffer” comes from the Old French term “baf,” which means “to give a blow.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe past habitual actions or ongoing states in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je baffais mon petit frère. (When I was young, I used to slap my little brother.)
  2. Tous les jours, elle baffait son collègue de travail. (Every day, she would slap her coworker.)
  3. Nous baffions souvent nos camarades de classe à l’école. (We used to often smack our classmates at school.)

English translations:

  1. When I was young, I used to slap my little brother.
  2. Every day, she would slap her coworker.
  3. We used to often smack our classmates at school.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of baffer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je baffais Je le baffais souvent. I used to slap him often.
tu baffais Tu baffais les mouches. You used to slap flies.
il baffait Il baffait son frère. He used to slap his brother.
elle baffait Elle baffait son ami. She used to slap her friend.
on baffait On baffait les menteurs. We used to slap liars.
nous baffions Nous baffions les insolents. We used to slap the insolent ones.
vous baffiez Vous baffiez les tricheurs. You used to slap cheaters.
ils baffaient Ils baffaient leurs ennemis. They used to slap their enemies.
elles baffaient Elles baffaient les voleurs. They used to slap thieves.

Other Conjugations for Baffer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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