Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb biner

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The English translation of the French verb “biner” is “to weed” or “to hoe.” The infinitive form “biner” is pronounced as “bee-nay.”

The word “biner” originates from the Old French word “binder,” which means “to clean” or “to weed.” It is derived from the Latin word “binare,” which means “to work in pairs.”

In everyday French, the verb “biner” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past. It is used to express actions that were repeated or ongoing with no specific beginning or end in the past.

Here are three simple examples of “biner” in the imparfait tense and their respective English translations:

  1. Je binais mon jardin tous les samedis. (I used to weed my garden every Saturday.)
  2. Pendant mon enfance, mes parents binaient le jardin ensemble. (During my childhood, my parents used to weed the garden together.)
  3. Les agriculteurs binent souvent les champs pour éliminer les mauvaises herbes. (Farmers used to hoe the fields often to eliminate weeds.)

In these examples, the verb “biner” is used to describe repetitive actions in the past, indicating a habitual or ongoing activity.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of biner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je binais Je binais le jardin. I was hoeing the garden.
tu binais Tu binais les plates-bandes. You were weeding the flowerbeds.
il binait Il binait les légumes. He was cultivating the vegetables.
elle binait Elle binait les plantes. She was hoeing the plants.
on binait On binait le sol. We were hoeing the soil.
nous binions Nous binions les mauvaises herbes. We were removing the weeds.
vous biniez Vous biniez les fleurs. You were hoeing the flowers.
ils binaient Ils binaient les champs. They were cultivating the fields.
elles binaient Elles binaient les parterres. They were weeding the flowerbeds.

Other Conjugations for Biner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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