Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bafouer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bafouer

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The English translation of the French verb “bafouer” is “to scoff at” or “to ridicule.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “bafouer” is [ba-foo-ey].

The word “bafouer” originated from the Latin word “fouet,” which means “to whip.” Over time, the meaning evolved to include the idea of treating someone contemptuously or mocking them. In everyday French, “bafouer” is primarily used in the imparfait tense to describe recurring or ongoing actions in the past.

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

  1. Pendant son adolescence, il bafouait constamment les opinions des autres.
    (During his adolescence, he constantly scoffed at other people’s opinions.)
  2. Les riches seigneurs bafouaient les paysans sans aucun remords.
    (The wealthy lords used to ridicule the peasants without any remorse.)
  3. Elle bafouait régulièrement les règles de l’école.
    (She would regularly mock the school rules.)

In all these examples, the imparfait tense emphasizes the repeated or ongoing nature of the action of “bafouer” in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bafouer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bafouais Je bafouais ses idées. I was mocking his ideas.
tu bafouais Tu bafouais mes sentiments. You were disregarding my feelings.
il bafouait Il bafouait les règles. He was violating the rules.
elle bafouait Elle bafouait les normes sociales. She was flouting social norms.
on bafouait On bafouait les droits de l’homme. We were violating human rights.
nous bafouions Nous bafouions leur autorité. We were defying their authority.
vous bafouiez Vous bafouiez leur dignité. You were disrespecting their dignity.
ils bafouaient Ils bafouaient les lois. They were disregarding the laws.
elles bafouaient Elles bafouaient les règles du jeu. They were flouting the rules of the game.

Other Conjugations for Bafouer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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