Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Introduction to the verb ballotter
The English translation of the French verb “ballotter” is “to toss” or “to shake.” The infinitive form “ballotter” is pronounced as bah-lot-ay.
The word “ballotter” originates from the Old French verb “baeloter,” which means “to toss back and forth.” It can be used in various contexts, most commonly to describe the action of shaking or tossing something repeatedly.
In the imparfait tense, “ballotter” is often used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:
-
Chaque nuit, le vent ballotait les branches des arbres.
(Every night, the wind tossed the tree branches.) -
En montagne, le téléphérique ballotait doucement les passagers.
(In the mountains, the cable car gently tossed the passengers.) -
Les vagues ballottaient le bateau, rendant la mer agitée.
(The waves were tossing the boat, making the sea rough.)
In these examples, “ballotter” is used to describe the repeated or ongoing action of tossing or shaking, providing a sense of movement or agitation.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of ballotter
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | ballottais | Je ballottais d’un côté à l’autre. | I was tossing and turning. |
tu | ballottais | Tu ballottais dans la mer agitée. | You were being tossed about in the rough sea. |
il | ballotait | Il ballotait au rythme de la musique. | He was swaying to the rhythm of the music. |
elle | ballotait | Elle ballotait son bébé pour l’endormir. | She was rocking her baby to sleep. |
on | ballotait | On ballotait dans la foule. | We were jostling in the crowd. |
nous | ballotions | Nous ballotions dans le train en marche. | We were jolting in the moving train. |
vous | ballotiez | Vous ballotiez les cartons lourds. | You were tossing the heavy boxes. |
ils | ballottaient | Ils ballottaient leurs têtes en signe de déception. | They were shaking their heads in disappointment. |
elles | ballottaient | Elles ballottaient leurs jambes en attendant. | They were swinging their legs while waiting. |
Other Conjugations for Ballotter.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ballotter
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Ballotter – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb ballotter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!