Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bosseler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bosseler

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The English translation of the French verb “bosseler” is “to dent” or “to ding” in the sense of causing a dent or deformation on a surface. The infinitive form “bosseler” is pronounced as “bo-suh-leh.”

The word “bosseler” comes from the Old French word “boisceler,” which means “to make hollows or bosses.” It originated from the word “bosse” meaning “hump” or “swelling.” In everyday French, “bosseler” is most often 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:

  1. Chaque fois que le ballon tombait, il bosselait la porte. (Every time the ball fell, he would dent the door.)
  2. Nous passions des heures à jouer avec les voitures miniatures et à les bosseler. (We spent hours playing with toy cars and denting them.)
  3. Quand il était jeune, il bosselait souvent son vélo en faisant du saut. (When he was young, he would often dent his bike while doing jumps.)

English translations:

  1. Every time the ball fell, he would dent the door.
  2. We spent hours playing with toy cars and denting them.
  3. When he was young, he would often dent his bike while doing jumps.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bosseler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bosselais Je bosselais la voiture. I was denting the car.
tu bosselais Tu bosselais la porte. You were denting the door.
il bosselait Il bosselait le capot. He was denting the hood.
elle bosselait Elle bosselait la carrosserie. She was denting the bodywork.
on bosselait On bosselait les tôles. We were denting the metal sheets.
nous bosselions Nous bosselions les ailes. We were denting the wings.
vous bosseliez Vous bosseliez la surface. You were denting the surface.
ils bosselaient Ils bosselaient les pare-chocs. They were denting the bumpers.
elles bosselaient Elles bosselaient les portières. They were denting the doors.

Other Conjugations for Bosseler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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