Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bizuter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bizuter

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The English translation of the French verb bizuter is “to haze” or “to initiate.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “bizuter” is bee-zoo-teh.

The term “bizuter” is derived from the English word “bizarre” and was initially used in the French military academies to refer to the practice of subjecting new recruits to harsh and often humiliating initiation rituals. Over time, the usage of “bizuter” has expanded to include initiations or hazing in various contexts, such as schools, universities, or social groups.

In everyday French, when using the imparfait tense, “bizuter” is commonly used to describe past actions or ongoing situations of hazing or initiation. Here are three examples:

  1. Quand j’étais à l’université, on me bizutait tous les soirs. (When I was in university, they would haze/initiate me every night.)
  2. Les étudiants plus âgés bizutaient les nouveaux chaque année. (The older students would haze/initiate the new ones every year.)
  3. Pendant mon séjour à l’internat, les élèves de dernière année nous bizutaient régulièrement. (During my boarding school stay, the senior students would regularly haze/initiate us.)

English translations:

  1. When I was in university, they would haze/initiate me every night.
  2. The older students would haze/initiate the new ones every year.
  3. During my boarding school stay, the senior students would regularly haze/initiate us.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bizuter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bizutais Je bizutais les nouveaux étudiants. I hazed the new students.
tu bizutais Tu bizutais ton camarade. You hazed your classmate.
il bizutait Il bizutait ses camarades. He hazed his classmates.
elle bizutait Elle bizutait ses camarades. She hazed her classmates.
on bizutait On bizutait les nouvelles recrues. We hazed the new recruits.
nous bizutions Nous bizutions les étudiants. We hazed the students.
vous bizutiez Vous bizutiez les étudiants. You hazed the students.
ils bizutaient Ils bizutaient les nouveaux membres. They hazed the new members.
elles bizutaient Elles bizutaient les nouveaux membres. They hazed the new members.

Other Conjugations for Bizuter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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