Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biberonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb biberonner

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The English translation of the French verb “biberonner” is “to bottle-feed.” The infinitive form of “biberonner” is pronounced as “bee-beh-roh-neh.”

“Biberonner” is derived from the noun “biberon,” meaning “baby bottle.” The verb is formed by adding the suffix “-er” to the noun. It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of feeding a baby using a bottle, specifically for infants who have not yet transitioned to solid foods.

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

  1. Quand j’étais petite, je biberonnais mon petit frère tous les soirs.
    (When I was little, I used to bottle-feed my younger brother every evening.)

  2. Nous biberonnions nos jumeaux toutes les trois heures.
    (We used to bottle-feed our twins every three hours.)

  3. Pendant mes vacances, je biberonnais les bébés de l’orphelinat.
    (During my vacation, I used to bottle-feed the babies at the orphanage.)

These examples illustrate the past habitual actions of bottle-feeding infants using the imparfait tense.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of biberonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je biberonnais Je biberonnais mon petit frère. I was bottle-feeding my little brother.
tu biberonnais Tu biberonnais ton bébé. You were bottle-feeding your baby.
il biberonnait Il biberonnait son neveu. He was bottle-feeding his nephew.
elle biberonnait Elle biberonnait sa nièce. She was bottle-feeding her niece.
on biberonnait On biberonnait le nourrisson. We were bottle-feeding the infant.
nous biberonnions Nous biberonnions les jumeaux. We were bottle-feeding the twins.
vous biberonniez Vous biberonniez votre enfant. You were bottle-feeding your child.
ils biberonnaient Ils biberonnaient leurs petits-enfants. They were bottle-feeding their grandchildren.
elles biberonnaient Elles biberonnaient leurs bébés. They were bottle-feeding their babies.

Other Conjugations for Biberonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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