Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb balbutier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb balbutier

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The English translation of the French verb “balbutier” is “to stammer” or “to stutter.” The infinitive form “balbutier” is pronounced as [bal-by-tye].

The word “balbutier” originates from the Old French verb “balbucier,” which comes from the Latin word “balbutire,” meaning “to stammer” or “to stutter.”

In everyday French, the verb “balbutier” in the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated stuttering actions in the past. It is often used to portray a character’s speech impediment or to describe someone struggling to express themselves.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je balbutiais souvent en public. (When I was a child, I used to stutter often in public.)
  2. Elle balbutiait des mots incompréhensibles pendant la réunion. (She was stuttering incomprehensible words during the meeting.)
  3. Nous balbutiions nos réponses pendant l’interrogatoire. (We were stuttering our answers during the interrogation.)

Note: The English translation might not always follow the imparfait tense structure since English does not have a direct equivalent verb tense.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of balbutier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je balbutiais Je balbutiais des excuses. I was stammering excuses.
tu balbutiais Tu balbutiais devant la foule. You were stammering in front of the crowd.
il balbutiait Il balbutiait ses premiers mots. He was stammering his first words.
elle balbutiait Elle balbutiait en classe. She was stammering in class.
on balbutiait On balbutiait des mots incompréhensibles. We were stammering incomprehensible words.
nous balbutiions Nous balbutiions nos réponses. We were stammering our answers.
vous balbutiiez Vous balbutiiez vos discours. You were stammering your speeches.
ils balbutiaient Ils balbutiaient de peur. They were stammering out of fear.
elles balbutiaient Elles balbutiaient leurs excuses. They were stammering their apologies.

Other Conjugations for Balbutier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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