Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb béquiller

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb béquiller

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The English translation of the French verb “béquiller” is “to walk with crutches.” The infinitive form “béquiller” is pronounced as “bay-k-ee-yay.”

The word “béquiller” comes from the noun “béquille,” which means “crutch” in French. It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe a past ongoing action or state of walking with crutches.

Here are three simple examples of the verb “béquiller” used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je béquillais suite à une fracture à la jambe.
    (When I was a child, I used to walk with crutches due to a leg fracture.)

  2. Tous les matins, elle béquillait lentement jusqu’à l’arrêt de bus.
    (Every morning, she would walk slowly with crutches to the bus stop.)

  3. Nous béquillions pendant plusieurs semaines après l’opération du genou.
    (We were walking with crutches for several weeks after the knee surgery.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of béquiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je béquillais Je béquillais après ma blessure. I was using crutches after my injury.
tu béquillais Tu béquillais lentement. You were walking slowly with crutches.
il béquillait Il béquillait en boitant. He was using crutches while limping.
elle béquillait Elle béquillait avec facilité. She was using crutches with ease.
on béquillait On béquillait pour se déplacer. We were using crutches to move around.
nous béquillions Nous béquillions ensemble. We were using crutches together.
vous béquilliez Vous béquilliez prudemment. You were using crutches cautiously.
ils béquillaient Ils béquillaient après leurs opérations. They were using crutches after their surgeries.
elles béquillaient Elles béquillaient sans difficulté. They were using crutches without difficulty.

Other Conjugations for Béquiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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