Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bornoyer

Introduction to the verb bornoyer

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The English translation of the French verb “bornoyer” is “to squint” or “to look askance.” The infinitive form “bornoyer” is pronounced as “bohr-nwah-yey.”

The verb “bornoyer” comes from the Old French word “bornoi,” which means “squinting” or “looking askance.” It is often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe a continuous or repeated action in the past. The imparfait tense is used to portray a background or provide descriptions in the past.

Here are three examples of “bornoyer” in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je bornoyais souvent. (When I was a child, I used to squint often.)
  2. Il bornoyait pendant les réunions, ce qui agaçait les autres participants. (He would squint during the meetings, which annoyed the other participants.)
  3. Nous bornoyions en essayant de lire le panneau de signalisation éloigné. (We were squinting while trying to read the distant road sign.)

Please note that the translations provided are approximate and may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bornoyer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bornoyais Je bornoyais souvent. I used to look sideways often.
tu bornoyais Tu bornoyais discrètement. You used to look sideways discreetly.
il bornoyait Il bornoyait les passants. He used to look sideways at the passersby.
elle bornoyait Elle bornoyait les invités. She used to look sideways at the guests.
on bornoyait On bornoyait les étrangers. We used to look sideways at strangers.
nous bornoyions Nous bornoyions les inconnus. We used to look sideways at strangers.
vous bornoyiez Vous bornoyiez les animaux. You used to look sideways at animals.
ils bornoyaient Ils bornoyaient les concurrents. They used to look sideways at competitors.
elles bornoyaient Elles bornoyaient les spectateurs. They used to look sideways at spectators.

Other Conjugations for Bornoyer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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