Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bivouaquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bivouaquer

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The English translation of the French verb “bivouaquer” is “to bivouac” or “to camp out.” The infinitive form “bivouaquer” is pronounced as “bee-voo-a-kay.”

“Bivouaquer” comes from the French noun “bivouac,” which originated from the Swiss German word “biwacht” (bi = by, wacht = guard). It was initially used in the military context to refer to a night guard duty. Over time, the term evolved to encompass the action of setting up temporary camp during military campaigns or outdoor activities.

In everyday French, the verb “bivouaquer” is commonly 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:

  1. Chaque été, nous bivouaquions au bord de la rivière. (Every summer, we used to camp out by the river.)
  2. Pendant mes randonnées en montagne, je bivouaquais souvent pour profiter de la nature. (During my hikes in the mountains, I would often bivouac to enjoy nature.)
  3. Lorsque j’étais scout, nous bivouaquions régulièrement dans la forêt. (When I was a scout, we would regularly camp out in the forest.)

English translations:

  1. Every summer, we used to camp out by the river.
  2. During my hikes in the mountains, I would often bivouac to enjoy nature.
  3. When I was a scout, we would regularly camp out in the forest.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bivouaquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bivouaquais Je bivouaquais dans la forêt. I was bivouacking in the forest.
tu bivouaquais Tu bivouaquais près de la rivière. You were bivouacking near the river.
il bivouaquait Il bivouaquait avec ses amis. He was bivouacking with his friends.
elle bivouaquait Elle bivouaquait sous les étoiles. She was bivouacking under the stars.
on bivouaquait On bivouaquait en montagne. We were bivouacking in the mountains.
nous bivouaquions Nous bivouaquions près du lac. We were bivouacking near the lake.
vous bivouaquiez Vous bivouaquiez en plein air. You were bivouacking outdoors.
ils bivouaquaient Ils bivouaquaient dans la vallée. They were bivouacking in the valley.
elles bivouaquaient Elles bivouaquaient dans la forêt tropicale. They were bivouacking in the rainforest.

Other Conjugations for Bivouaquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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