Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bander

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bander

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The English translation of the French verb “bander” is “to hoist” or “to stiffen” (referring to an erection). The infinitive form “bander” is pronounced as /bɑ̃.de/.

The verb “bander” comes from Old French “bander” meaning “to bind” or “to tie.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe a repeated or ongoing action in the past.

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

  1. Je bandais souvent lorsque j’étais adolescent.
    (I used to get erections often when I was a teenager.)

  2. Pendant la représentation, l’acteur bandait en jouant la scène.
    (During the performance, the actor would get excited while playing the scene.)

  3. Nous bandions toujours en voyant cette fameuse actrice à l’écran.
    (We would always get aroused when we saw that famous actress on screen.)

Please note that the verb “bander” may have more explicit and vulgar connotations in certain contexts, so it’s important to consider the appropriate usage depending on the situation.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bander

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bandais Je bandais les muscles. I was flexing my muscles.
tu bandais Tu bandais les yeux. You were blindfolding.
il bandait Il bandait une blessure. He was bandaging a wound.
elle bandait Elle bandait les cheveux. She was tying her hair.
on bandait On bandait les pieds. We were binding the feet.
nous bandions Nous bandions les mains. We were tying the hands.
vous bandiez Vous bandiez les blessures. You were bandaging the wounds.
ils bandaient Ils bandaient les yeux. They were blindfolding.
elles bandaient Elles bandaient les cheveux. They were tying their hair.

Other Conjugations for Bander.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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