Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb baigner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb baigner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of baigner. 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 “baigner” is “to bathe” or “to swim.” The infinitive form of “baigner” is pronounced as “be-nay.”

The verb “baigner” comes from the Latin word “bāniāre,” meaning “to bathe.” In everyday French, “baigner” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je me baignais dans la mer tous les étés.
    (When I was a child, I used to swim in the sea every summer.)

  2. Nous nous baignions dans la rivière tous les week-ends.
    (We used to bathe in the river every weekend.)

  3. Pendant nos vacances, nous nous baignions au bord du lac chaque matin.
    (During our vacation, we used to swim at the lakeside every morning.)

Note: In all these examples, “baigner” conjugates with the reflexive pronoun “se” (meaning “oneself”), indicating that the action is performed on oneself, as in “to bathe oneself” or “to swim oneself.”

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of baigner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je baignais Je baignais dans la mer. I was bathing in the sea.
tu baignais Tu baignais le bébé. You were bathing the baby.
il baignait Il baignait dans la rivière. He was bathing in the river.
elle baignait Elle baignait le chien. She was bathing the dog.
on baignait On baignait dans la piscine. We were bathing in the pool.
nous baignions Nous baignions à la plage. We were bathing at the beach.
vous baigniez Vous baigniez les enfants. You were bathing the children.
ils baignaient Ils baignaient dans le lac. They were bathing in the lake.
elles baignaient Elles baignaient les plantes. They were watering the plants.

Other Conjugations for Baigner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the baigner imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply