Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb barrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb barrer

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The English translation of the French verb “barrer” is “to cross out” or “to put a bar across.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ba-ray.”

The verb “barrer” comes from the Old French word “barre,” meaning “bar” or “rod.” It is derived from the Latin word “barra,” which also means “bar” or “beam.”

In everyday French, the verb “barrer” in the imparfait tense is most commonly used to express ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It is often used when describing a scene, setting, or character background.

Here are three simple examples of “barrer” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Je barrais la liste des tâches à faire.
    (I was crossing out the to-do list.)
  2. Tu barrais les mots incorrects dans le texte.
    (You were crossing out the incorrect words in the text.)
  3. Elle barrait les noms des invités absents sur la liste.
    (She was crossing out the names of absent guests on the list.)

Note: The English translations provided above are approximate, as the exact translation can vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of barrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je barrais Je barrais la porte. I was barring the door.
tu barrais Tu barrais le sol. You were sweeping the floor.
il barrait Il barrait l’accès. He was blocking the entrance.
elle barrait Elle barrait la route. She was blocking the road.
on barrait On barrait l’entrée. We were blocking the entrance.
nous barrions Nous barrions les fenêtres. We were blocking the windows.
vous barriez Vous barriez les chemins. You were blocking the paths.
ils barraient Ils barraient le passage. They were blocking the passage.
elles barraient Elles barraient la sortie. They were blocking the exit.

Other Conjugations for Barrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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