Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bitturer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bitturer

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The English translation of the French verb “bitturer” is “to get drunk” or “to drink excessively.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bee-tyuh-ray” (/bi.ty.ʁe/).

The word “bitturer” has its origins in the French noun “biture,” which comes from the English word “beater.” It was initially used in the context of horse racing to refer to the refusal of a horse to jump over an obstacle. Over time, the term evolved to describe someone who consumed excessive amounts of alcohol.

In everyday French, “bitturer” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe past habits or ongoing actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Chaque soir, il bitturait dans les bars du quartier. (Every evening, he would get drunk in the neighborhood bars.)
  2. Nous bitturions ensemble lors de nos soirées étudiantes. (We used to get drunk together during our student parties.)
  3. Pendant les vacances, ils bitturaient souvent sur la plage. (During the holidays, they would often drink excessively on the beach.)

Please note that excessive alcohol consumption can have serious health and social implications. The examples provided above are given solely for linguistic purposes and should not be seen as promoting such behavior.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bitturer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bitturais Je bitturais tous les soirs. I used to get drunk every night.
tu bitturais Tu bitturais souvent. You used to get drunk often.
il bitturait Il bitturait avec ses amis. He used to get drunk with his friends.
elle bitturait Elle bitturait trop. She used to get drunk too much.
on bitturait On bitturait en fête. We used to get drunk at parties.
nous bitturions Nous bitturions ensemble. We used to get drunk together.
vous bitturiez Vous bitturiez au bar. You used to get drunk at the bar.
ils bitturaient Ils bitturaient sans modération. They used to get drunk without moderation.
elles bitturaient Elles bitturaient chaque weekend. They used to get drunk every weekend.

Other Conjugations for Bitturer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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