Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bayer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bayer

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The English translation of the French verb “bayer” is “to yawn”.

The infinitive form of “bayer” is pronounced as [bɛ.je].

The word “bayer” originates from the Old French word “baer,” which means “to be wide open.” It is believed to have derived from the Latin word “badāre” meaning “to gape.” In modern everyday French, “bayer” is primarily used in the imparfait tense, which corresponds to the English past continuous tense.

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

  1. Quand j’étais fatigué, je bâillais tout le temps.
    (When I was tired, I used to yawn all the time.)

  2. Pendant le cours, les élèves bâillaient d’ennui.
    (During the class, the students were yawning out of boredom.)

  3. Tu bâillais toujours quand tu écoutais de la musique classique.
    (You used to always yawn when you listened to classical music.)

Note: The English translations are given in the past continuous tense to reflect the imparfait tense in French.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bayer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bâillais Je bâillais souvent. I used to yawn often.
tu bâillais Tu bâillais pendant la réunion. You used to yawn during the meeting.
il bâillait Il bâillait de fatigue. He used to yawn from tiredness.
elle bâillait Elle bâillait à cause de l’ennui. She used to yawn out of boredom.
on bâillait On bâillait en classe. We used to yawn in class.
nous bâillions Nous bâillions après le déjeuner. We used to yawn after lunch.
vous bâilliez Vous bâilliez bruyamment. You used to yawn loudly.
ils bâillaient Ils bâillaient en chœur. They used to yawn in unison.
elles bâillaient Elles bâillaient sans arrêt. They used to yawn constantly.

Other Conjugations for Bayer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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