Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biffer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb biffer

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The English translation of the French verb “biffer” is “to cross out” or “to strike through.”

The infinitive form of “biffer” is pronounced as “bee-fay.”

“Biffer” originated from the Old French word “biffrer,” which meant “to brandish” or “to flourish.” Over time, its meaning evolved into “to cross out” or “to strike through.” In everyday French, “biffer” is commonly used when we want to mark or cancel something, such as crossing out words on a paper or striking through an item on a list.

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

  1. Chaque jour, il biffait les tâches accomplies sur sa liste.
    (Every day, he would cross out the completed tasks on his list.)

  2. Pendant la réunion, elle biffait les idées qui n’étaient pas acceptées.
    (During the meeting, she would strike through the ideas that were not accepted.)

  3. Quand il était en colère, il biffait tous les mots écrits dans son journal intime.
    (When he was angry, he would cross out all the words written in his diary.)

Please note that the imparfait tense in French is often used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, so these examples show the continuous or habitual act of crossing out or striking through.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of biffer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je biffais Je biffais les mots incorrects. I was crossing out the incorrect words.
tu biffais Tu biffais les erreurs. You were crossing out the mistakes.
il biffait Il biffait les lignes. He was crossing out the lines.
elle biffait Elle biffait les fautes. She was crossing out the errors.
on biffait On biffait les réponses fausses. We were crossing out the wrong answers.
nous biffions Nous biffions les phrases inutiles. We were crossing out the unnecessary sentences.
vous biffiez Vous biffiez les mots-clés. You were crossing out the keywords.
ils biffaient Ils biffaient les paragraphes entiers. They were crossing out entire paragraphs.
elles biffaient Elles biffaient les passages incohérents. They were crossing out the inconsistent passages.

Other Conjugations for Biffer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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