Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb baisser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb baisser

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The English translation of the French verb “baisser” is “to lower” or “to decrease”. The infinitive form “baisser” is pronounced as “beys-ey” with the stress on the first syllable.

The verb “baisser” comes from the Latin word “bassus”, meaning “low” or “short”. In everyday French, “baisser” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which is the past tense used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Chaque soir, je baissais la luminosité de la lampe. (Every evening, I would lower the brightness of the lamp.)
  2. Ils baissaient la musique pour ne pas déranger les voisins. (They would lower the volume of the music to not disturb the neighbors.)
  3. Tu baissais toujours la tête quand tu étais timide. (You would always lower your head when you were shy.)

English translations:

  1. Every evening, I would lower the brightness of the lamp.
  2. They would lower the volume of the music to not disturb the neighbors.
  3. You would always lower your head when you were shy.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of baisser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je baissais Je baissais la musique. I was lowering the volume.
tu baissais Tu baissais les bras. You were giving up.
il baissait Il baissait les yeux. He was lowering his eyes.
elle baissait Elle baissait la tête. She was lowering her head.
on baissait On baissait les rideaux. We were lowering the curtains.
nous baissions Nous baissions la température. We were lowering the temperature.
vous baissiez Vous baissiez la voix. You were lowering your voice.
ils baissaient Ils baissaient leurs armes. They were lowering their weapons.
elles baissaient Elles baissaient les prix. They were lowering the prices.

Other Conjugations for Baisser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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