Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bastillonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bastillonner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of bastillonner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “bastillonner” is “to barricade” or “to block off.” The infinitive form “bastillonner” is pronounced as [bas-tee-yo-neh].

The word “bastillonner” comes from the noun “bastille,” which refers to a fortress or a prison. It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

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

  1. Chaque soir, ils bastonnaient la rue principale pour empêcher les voitures d’y passer.
    (Every evening, they barricaded the main street to prevent cars from passing through.)

  2. Pendant la manifestation, les manifestants bastonnaient les entrées du bâtiment administratif.
    (During the protest, the demonstrators blocked off the entrances of the administrative building.)

  3. Quand il y avait des émeutes, la police bastonnait les quartiers sensibles pour maintenir l’ordre.
    (When there were riots, the police would barricade the sensitive neighborhoods to maintain order.)

Please note that the translations provided are not word-for-word, but rather convey the meaning and context of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bastillonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bastillonnais Je bastillonnais la fenêtre. I was barricading the window.
tu bastillonnais Tu bastillonnais la porte. You were barricading the door.
il bastillonnait Il bastillonnait les fenêtres. He was barricading the windows.
elle bastillonnait Elle bastillonnait la porte d’entrée. She was barricading the front door.
on bastillonnait On bastillonnait les accès. We were barricading the entrances.
nous bastillonnions Nous bastillonnions les voies d’accès. We were barricading the access roads.
vous bastillonniez Vous bastillonniez les issues. You were barricading the exits.
ils bastillonnaient Ils bastillonnaient les rues. They were barricading the streets.
elles bastillonnaient Elles bastillonnaient les bâtiments. They were barricading the buildings.

Other Conjugations for Bastillonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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