Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bloquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bloquer

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The English translation of the French verb “bloquer” is “to block.” The infinitive form of “bloquer” is pronounced as “blok-ay.”

The verb “bloquer” comes from the Old Dutch word “blockon” which means “to obstruct” or “to hinder.” It is primarily used in everyday French to indicate the act of blocking or obstructing something physically, mentally, or in a figurative sense.

Here are three examples of the usage of “bloquer” in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je bloquais toujours la porte de ma chambre avec un meuble.
    (When I was a child, I would always block the door of my room with furniture.)

  2. Il bloquait souvent devant le tableau noir parce qu’il avait peur de faire des erreurs.
    (He would often freeze in front of the blackboard because he was afraid of making mistakes.)

  3. Nous bloquions le trafic en manifestant pacifiquement pour nos droits.
    (We were blocking the traffic by peacefully protesting for our rights.)

Note: The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated past actions, habits, or situations.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bloquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bloquais Je bloquais le passage. I was blocking the way.
tu bloquais Tu bloquais la porte. You were blocking the door.
il bloquait Il bloquait le chemin. He was blocking the path.
elle bloquait Elle bloquait l’entrée. She was blocking the entrance.
on bloquait On bloquait la rue. We were blocking the street.
nous bloquions Nous bloquions la circulation. We were blocking the traffic.
vous bloquiez Vous bloquiez la sortie. You were blocking the exit.
ils bloquaient Ils bloquaient le passage. They were blocking the way.
elles bloquaient Elles bloquaient la sortie. They were blocking the exit.

Other Conjugations for Bloquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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