Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb biser

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The English translation of the French verb “biser” is “to kiss.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bee-zay.”

The verb “biser” originates from the Latin word “basium,” meaning “kiss.” It is commonly used in everyday French to express the action of giving a kiss or to refer to the act of greeting someone with a kiss on the cheek.

In the imparfait tense, “biser” is often used to describe repetitive or ongoing actions that occurred in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je biaisais ma grand-mère tous les jours.
    (When I was young, I would kiss my grandmother every day.)

  2. Nous nous bisions souvent avant de partir au travail.
    (We used to kiss each other often before leaving for work.)

  3. Pendant l’été, ils bisaient sous le soleil couchant.
    (During the summer, they would kiss under the setting sun.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of biser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bisais Je bisais mes amis. I used to kiss my friends.
tu bisais Tu bisais ton amoureux. You used to kiss your lover.
il bisait Il bisait sa petite amie. He used to kiss his girlfriend.
elle bisait Elle bisait son chien. She used to kiss her dog.
on bisait On bisait beaucoup. We used to kiss a lot.
nous bisions Nous bisions nos parents. We used to kiss our parents.
vous bisiez Vous bisiez vos enfants. You used to kiss your children.
ils bisaient Ils bisaient leurs copines. They used to kiss their girlfriends.
elles bisaient Elles bisaient leurs copains. They used to kiss their boyfriends.

Other Conjugations for Biser.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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