Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb balkaniser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb balkaniser

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The English translation of the French verb “balkaniser” is “to balkanize.” The infinitive form of “balkaniser” is pronounced as “bal-kah-nee-zay.”

The word “balkaniser” originated from the term “Balkans,” which refers to the southeastern region of Europe. The verb “balkaniser” is used to describe the fragmentation or division of a geographical area or a larger entity into smaller, often conflicting parts. It reflects the historical and political context of the Balkans, which experienced significant territorial divisions and conflicts.

In everyday French, “balkaniser” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe a continuous action or a habitual behavior in the past. Here are three examples:

  1. Les querelles politiques balkanisaient la région. (The political disputes were balkanizing the region.)
  2. Les rivalités religieuses balkanisaient le pays depuis des décennies. (The religious rivalries were balkanizing the country for decades.)
  3. Les différences ethniques balkanisaient la société. (The ethnic differences were balkanizing the society.)

English translations:

  1. The political disputes were balkanizing the region.
  2. The religious rivalries were balkanizing the country for decades.
  3. The ethnic differences were balkanizing the society.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of balkaniser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je balkanisais Je balkanisais les données. I was Balkanizing the data.
tu balkanisais Tu balkanisais la région. You were Balkanizing the region.
il balkanisait Il balkanisait le pays. He was Balkanizing the country.
elle balkanisait Elle balkanisait la société. She was Balkanizing the society.
on balkanisait On balkanisait les ressources. We were Balkanizing the resources.
nous balkanisions Nous balkanisions les territoires. We were Balkanizing the territories.
vous balkanisiez Vous balkanisiez les cultures. You were Balkanizing the cultures.
ils balkanisaient Ils balkanisaient les frontières. They were Balkanizing the borders.
elles balkanisaient Elles balkanisaient les langues. They were Balkanizing the languages.

Other Conjugations for Balkaniser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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