Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bituminer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bituminer

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The English translation of the French verb “bituminer” is “to bitumen” or “to tar.” The infinitive form “bituminer” is pronounced as “bee-too-mee-neh.”

The word “bituminer” comes from the noun “bitume,” which means “bitumen” in English. Bitumen is a viscous black or dark-colored petroleum product used in road surfacing and roofing. In everyday French, “bituminer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe past actions or ongoing actions in the past.

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

  1. Je bituminais les routes de mon quartier tous les étés.
    (I used to tar the roads in my neighborhood every summer.)

  2. Tu bituminais le toit de ta maison avant l’hiver.
    (You used to bitumen the roof of your house before winter.)

  3. Les ouvriers bituminaient les autoroutes pour les rendre plus résistantes.
    (The workers were bitumening the highways to make them more durable.)

Note: The English translations may not capture the exact meaning or context, as the imparfait tense can have different nuances in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bituminer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bituminais Je bituminais la route. I was asphaltig the road.
tu bituminais Tu bituminais la piste cyclable. You were asphaltig the bike path.
il bituminait Il bituminait la chaussée. He was asphaltig the roadway.
elle bituminait Elle bituminait la rue. She was asphaltig the street.
on bituminait On bituminait les trottoirs. We were asphaltig the sidewalks.
nous bituminions Nous bituminions les parkings. We were asphaltig the parking lots.
vous bituminiez Vous bituminiez les allées. You were asphaltig the pathways.
ils bituminaient Ils bituminaient les autoroutes. They were asphaltig the highways.
elles bituminaient Elles bituminaient les rues principales. They were asphaltig the main streets.

Other Conjugations for Bituminer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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