Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb botter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb botter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of botter. 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 “botter” is “to kick”. The infinitive form of “botter” is pronounced as “boh-tay”.

The word “botter” originated from the Latin word “buttare”, which means “to hit”. In everyday French, “botter” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

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

  1. Je bottais dans le ballon tous les jours. (I used to kick the ball every day.)
  2. Tu bottais toujours dans la porte. (You were always kicking the door.)
  3. Il/Elle bottait les cailloux sur le chemin. (He/She used to kick the pebbles on the path.)

Please note that the translations provided are in the simple past tense in English, as the imparfait tense does not have a direct equivalent in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of botter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bot tais Je bottais le ballon. I was kicking the ball.
tu bot tais Tu bottais fort. You were kicking hard.
il bot tait Il bottait dans le vide. He was kicking into the air.
elle bot tait Elle bottait de toutes ses forces. She was kicking with all her strength.
on bot tait On bottait ensemble. We were kicking together.
nous bot tions Nous b ottions les pénalités. We were taking penalties.
vous bot tiez Vous bottiez avec précision. You were kicking with precision.
ils bot taient Ils bottaient le ballon loin. They were kicking the ball far.
elles bot taient Elles bottaient avec efficacité. They were kicking with efficiency.

Other Conjugations for Botter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the botter imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply