Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bistrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bistrer

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The English translation of the French verb “bistrer” is “to darken” or “to shade.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bee-stray.”

The origin of the word “bistrer” can be traced back to the Latin word “bistrare,” meaning “to shade.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense, which is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. In this tense, “bistrer” is used to indicate the action of darkening or shading something.

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

  1. Chaque soir, je bistr ais les dessins dans mon cahier.
    (Every evening, I used to darken the drawings in my notebook.)

  2. Pendant l’été, nous bistr ions les fenêtres pour protéger la maison de la chaleur.
    (During the summer, we would darken the windows to protect the house from the heat.)

  3. Les artistes bistr aient les contours de leurs tableaux pour créer une atmosphère particulière.
    (The artists were darkening the outlines of their paintings to create a specific atmosphere.)

Note: The English translations provided are not literal translations but intended to convey the meaning of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bistrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bistr ais Je bistr ais les murs. I was sooting the walls.
tu bistr ais Tu bistr ais les meubles. You were sooting the furniture.
il bistr ait Il bistr ait la cheminée. He was sooting the chimney.
elle bistr ait Elle bistr ait les vitres. She was sooting the windows.
on bistr ait On bistr ait les objets en métal. We were sooting metal objects.
nous bistr ions Nous bistr ions le poêle. We were sooting the stove.
vous bistr iez Vous bistr iez les poutres. You were sooting the beams.
ils bistr aient Ils bistr aient les briques. They were sooting the bricks.
elles bistr aient Elles bistr aient les statues. They were sooting the statues.

Other Conjugations for Bistrer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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