Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bafouiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bafouiller

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The English translation of the French verb “bafouiller” is “to stammer” or “to stutter.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bah-foo-yay.”

“Bafouiller” originated from the Old French word “bafoillier,” which meant “to stammer.” It is derived from the word “fouiller,” which means “to search” or “to rummage.” In everyday French, “bafouiller” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe a continuous or ongoing action in the past.

Here are three examples of “bafouiller” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je bafouillais souvent lors de présentations en public.
    (When I was young, I used to stammer a lot during public presentations.)

  2. Ils bafouillaient en essayant de répondre aux questions posées par le professeur.
    (They were stammering while trying to answer the questions asked by the teacher.)

  3. Pendant le discours, elle bafouillait des mots incohérents à cause de son trac.
    (During the speech, she was stammering incoherent words due to her nervousness.)

English Translations:

  1. When I was young, I used to stammer a lot during public presentations.
  2. They were stammering while trying to answer the questions asked by the teacher.
  3. During the speech, she was stammering incoherent words due to her nervousness.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bafouiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bafouillais Je bafouillais mes mots. I was stuttering my words.
tu bafouillais Tu bafouillais devant tout le monde. You were stuttering in front of everyone.
il bafouillait Il bafouillait quand il était nerveux. He was stuttering when he was nervous.
elle bafouillait Elle bafouillait souvent en public. She was stuttering often in public.
on bafouillait On bafouillait pendant la présentation. We were stuttering during the presentation.
nous bafouillions Nous bafouillions nos discours. We were stuttering our speeches.
vous bafouilliez Vous bafouilliez vos réponses. You were stuttering your answers.
ils bafouillaient Ils bafouillaient leurs lignes. They were stuttering their lines.
elles bafouillaient Elles bafouillaient leurs excuses. They were stuttering their apologies.

Other Conjugations for Bafouiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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