Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bombarder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bombarder

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of bombarder. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “bombarder” is “to bombard.” The infinitive form “bombarder” is pronounced as [bɔ̃baʁde].

The verb “bombarder” originated from the Old French word “bombardier,” which referred to someone who used a “bombarde” (a type of cannon). Over time, the verb “bombarder” came to mean the act of attacking or bombarding a target with projectiles. In everyday French, “bombarder” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe continuous or repeated actions in the past.

Examples of “bombarder” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque nuit, les avions ennemis bombardaient la ville. (Every night, enemy planes would bombard the city.)
  2. Pendant la guerre, les troupes ennemies bombardaient sans relâche nos positions. (During the war, the enemy troops would tirelessly bombard our positions.)
  3. Quand j’étais jeune, mon grand-père me racontait comment les forces alliées bombardaient les cibles stratégiques. (When I was young, my grandfather used to tell me how the Allied forces would bombard strategic targets.)

English translations:

  1. Every night, enemy planes would bombard the city.
  2. During the war, the enemy troops would tirelessly bombard our positions.
  3. When I was young, my grandfather used to tell me how the Allied forces would bombard strategic targets.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bombarder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bombardais Je bombardais la ville. I was bombing the city.
tu bombardais Tu bombardais le champ de bataille. You were bombing the battlefield.
il bombardait Il bombardait les ennemis. He was bombing the enemies.
elle bombardait Elle bombardait la base militaire. She was bombing the military base.
on bombardait On bombardait les positions ennemies. We were bombing the enemy positions.
nous bombardions Nous bombardions les cibles stratégiques. We were bombing strategic targets.
vous bombardiez Vous bombardiez les navires ennemis. You were bombing the enemy ships.
ils bombardaient Ils bombardaient les fortifications. They were bombing the fortifications.
elles bombardaient Elles bombardaient les tranchées. They were bombing the trenches.

Other Conjugations for Bombarder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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