Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boubouler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boubouler

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The English translation of the French verb “boubouler” is “to get worked up” or “to get upset.” The infinitive form of “boubouler” is pronounced as “boo-boo-lay.”

The verb “boubouler” originates from the colloquial French language and does not have a direct equivalent in standard French. It is often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe a state of being upset or worked up in the past.

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

  1. Je bouboulais facilement quand j’étais jeune.
    (I used to get upset easily when I was young.)

  2. Pendant la réunion, il bouboulait à chaque critique.
    (During the meeting, he would get worked up at every criticism.)

  3. Nous bouboulions toujours quand il y avait des retards.
    (We would always get upset when there were delays.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of boubouler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bouboulais Je bouboulais mon chewing-gum. I was bubble blowing my gum.
tu bouboulais Tu bouboulais tes cheveux. You were tousling your hair.
il bouboulait Il bouboulait sa barbe. He was scrunching his beard.
elle bouboulait Elle bouboulait ses vêtements. She was crumpling her clothes.
on bouboulait On bouboulait les papiers. We were crumpling the papers.
nous bouboulions Nous bouboulions les feuilles. We were wrinkling the sheets.
vous boubouliez Vous boubouliez les draps. You were crumpling the sheets.
ils bouboulaient Ils bouboulaient les serviettes. They were creasing the napkins.
elles bouboulaient Elles bouboulaient les chemises. They were crumpling the shirts.

Other Conjugations for Boubouler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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