Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb border

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb border

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The English translation of the French verb “border” is “to border” or “to edge.” The infinitive form of “border” is pronounced as “bohr-deh.”

The word “border” originates from the Old French word “bordure,” which means “border” or “edge.” It derives from the verb “border” itself, which can be traced back to the Latin word “borda,” meaning “ship’s side” or “border.”

In everyday French, the verb “border” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe habitual actions or ongoing states in the past. Here are three simple examples:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je bordais toujours mes cahiers avec des motifs colorés.
    (When I was a child, I would always edge my notebooks with colorful patterns.)
  2. Pendant l’été, nous bordions notre jardin de jolies fleurs.
    (During the summer, we would border our garden with beautiful flowers.)
  3. Autrefois, les maisons de ce village étaient bordées de petits canaux.
    (In the past, the houses in this village were bordered by small canals.)

English translations:

  1. When I was a child, I would always edge my notebooks with colorful patterns.
  2. During the summer, we would border our garden with beautiful flowers.
  3. In the past, the houses in this village were bordered by small canals.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of border

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bordais Je bordais le dessin. I was bordering the drawing.
tu bordais Tu bordais la couverture. You were bordering the blanket.
il bordait Il bordait la route. He was bordering the road.
elle bordait Elle bordait le tissu. She was bordering the fabric.
on bordait On bordait les jardins. We were bordering the gardens.
nous bordions Nous bordions le chemin. We were bordering the path.
vous bordiez Vous bordiez les rideaux. You were bordering the curtains.
ils bordaient Ils bordaient le tableau. They were bordering the painting.
elles bordaient Elles bordaient la nappe. They were bordering the tablecloth.

Other Conjugations for Border.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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