Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb balader

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb balader

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The English translation of the French verb “balader” is “to stroll” or “to take a walk”. The infinitive form of balader is pronounced as bah-lah-deh.

The word “balader” originates from the Old French term “balade,” which meant a dance or a song. Over time, its meaning evolved, and in contemporary French, it is predominantly used to indicate the action of taking a leisurely walk or stroll.

In everyday French, when used in the imparfait tense, balader describes a habitual action or a continuous state of taking a walk in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, je me baladais dans le parc. (Every morning, I used to stroll in the park.)
  2. Pendant les vacances, nous nous baladions sur la plage tous les soirs. (During the holidays, we would take walks on the beach every evening.)
  3. Quand j’étais jeune, mes parents me baladaient en vélo dans la campagne. (When I was young, my parents used to take me for bike rides in the countryside.)

Note: It is important to mention that “balader” can also be used in the reflexive form “se balader,” where the subject of the sentence is performing the action on themselves. For example, “Je me baladais” means “I used to stroll around.”

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of balader

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je baladais Je baladais dans le parc. I was strolling in the park.
tu baladais Tu baladais souvent. You were strolling often.
il baladait Il baladait son chien. He was strolling his dog.
elle baladait Elle baladait sa fille. She was strolling her daughter.
on baladait On baladait à vélo. We were strolling by bike.
nous baladions Nous baladions en ville. We were strolling in the city.
vous baladiez Vous baladiez tranquillement. You were strolling peacefully.
ils baladaient Ils baladaient ensemble. They were strolling together.
elles baladaient Elles baladaient dans le jardin. They were strolling in the garden.

Other Conjugations for Balader.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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