Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bostonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bostonner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of bostonner. 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 “bostonner” is “to dance the Boston.” The infinitive form of “bostonner” is pronounced as /bɔstɔne/.

The word “bostonner” originates from the dance style called “Boston,” which was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The dance originated in the United States and was brought to France, where it gained popularity.

In everyday French, “bostonner” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe past habitual or ongoing actions. It conveys the idea of regularly or repeatedly dancing the Boston in the past.

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

  1. Chaque samedi soir, nous bostonnions dans la salle de bal. (Every Saturday night, we used to dance the Boston in the ballroom.)
  2. Quand j’étais jeune, je bostonnais avec mes amis lors des fêtes de village. (When I was young, I would dance the Boston with my friends during village festivals.)
  3. Pendant les années 1920, les jeunes couples bostonnaient souvent lors des soirées mondaines. (During the 1920s, young couples would often dance the Boston at fancy parties.)

Note: The imparfait tense is commonly used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, setting the scene, or providing background information.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bostonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bostonnais Je bostonnais tous les jours. I used to boston every day.
tu bostonnais Tu bostonnais beaucoup. You used to boston a lot.
il bostonnait Il bostonnait avec moi. He used to boston with me.
elle bostonnait Elle bostonnait très bien. She used to boston very well.
on bostonnait On bostonnait pendant des heures. We used to boston for hours.
nous bostonnions Nous bostonnions ensemble. We used to boston together.
vous bostonniez Vous bostonniez en groupe. You used to boston as a group.
ils bostonnaient Ils bostonnaient tout le temps. They used to boston all the time.
elles bostonnaient Elles bostonnaient avec enthousiasme. They used to boston enthusiastically.

Other Conjugations for Bostonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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