Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bocarder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bocarder

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The English translation of the French verb “bocarder” is “to beat” or “to thrash.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “bocarder” is boh-kahr-deh.

The verb “bocarder” comes from the noun “bocard,” which refers to a machine used to extract minerals by pounding. In everyday French, “bocarder” is used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Chaque matin, il bocardait les épices pour en faire de la poudre.
    (Each morning, he used to beat the spices to make powder.)

  2. Pendant la récolte, les paysans bocardaient les grains pour les nettoyer.
    (During the harvest, the farmers would thrash the grains to clean them.)

  3. Nous bocardions les tapis avant de les vendre.
    (We used to beat the rugs before selling them.)

Please note that the translations are approximate as the imparfait tense does not always have a direct equivalent in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bocarder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bocardais Je bocardais les cartes. I was shuffling the cards.
tu bocardais Tu bocardais les feuilles. You were crumpling the papers.
il bocardait Il bocardait le tissu. He was crushing the fabric.
elle bocardait Elle bocardait les noix. She was grinding the nuts.
on bocardait On bocardait les épices. We were pounding the spices.
nous bocardions Nous bocardions les grains. We were threshing the grains.
vous bocardiez Vous bocardiez les pierres. You were crushing the stones.
ils bocardaient Ils bocardaient les plantes. They were trampling the plants.
elles bocardaient Elles bocardaient les herbes. They were crushing the herbs.

Other Conjugations for Bocarder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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