Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb becqueter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb becqueter

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The English translation of the French verb “becqueter” is “to peck” or “to nibble.” The infinitive form of “becqueter” is pronounced as “bek-eh-te.”

The verb “becqueter” originated from the noun “bec” (beak) and is related to the action of a bird pecking or nibbling with its beak. In everyday French, “becqueter” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which expresses ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais petit, je becquetais mes légumes tous les soirs.
    (When I was little, I used to nibble on my vegetables every evening.)

  2. Pendant les vacances, nous becquetions des fruits frais toute la journée.
    (During the holidays, we would peck at fresh fruits all day long.)

  3. Elle becquetait son croissant lentement en buvant son café.
    (She was nibbling on her croissant slowly while drinking her coffee.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of becqueter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je becquetais Je becquetais du pain. I was pecking at bread.
tu becquetais Tu becquetais tes légumes. You were pecking at your vegetables.
il becquetait Il becquetait les grains. He was pecking at the grains.
elle becquetait Elle becquetait les vers de terre. She was pecking at the worms.
on becquetait On becquetait les restes. We were pecking at the leftovers.
nous becquetions Nous becquetions les fruits. We were pecking at the fruits.
vous becquetiez Vous becquetiez les biscuits. You were pecking at the biscuits.
ils becquetaient Ils becquetaient les insectes. They were pecking at the insects.
elles becquetaient Elles becquetaient les graines. They were pecking at the seeds.

Other Conjugations for Becqueter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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