Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boucher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boucher

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The English translation of the French verb “boucher” is “to block,” “to plug,” or “to clog.” The infinitive form, “boucher,” is pronounced as /bu.ʃe/.

“Boucher” comes from the Latin word “obstruere,” meaning “to block” or “to obstruct.” In everyday French, “boucher” is used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It is often used to talk about something that was regularly happening or a situation that lasted for a certain period in the past.

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

  1. Chaque hiver, la neige bouchait les routes. (Every winter, the snow was blocking the roads.)
  2. Ma vieille voiture bouchait régulièrement l’autoroute. (My old car used to clog the highway frequently.)
  3. L’évier de la cuisine se bouchait tout le temps. (The kitchen sink was constantly getting clogged.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense of “boucher” indicates a continuous or recurring action or state in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of boucher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bouchais Je bouchais la bouteille. I was corking the bottle.
tu bouchais Tu bouchais le trou. You were plugging the hole.
il bouchait Il bouchait le canal. He was blocking the canal.
elle bouchait Elle bouchait la fuite. She was sealing the leak.
on bouchait On bouchait les oreilles. We were plugging our ears.
nous bouchions Nous bouchions les tuyaux. We were clogging the pipes.
vous bouchiez Vous bouchiez le passage. You were blocking the passage.
ils bouchaient Ils bouchaient les canalisations. They were blocking the pipes.
elles bouchaient Elles bouchaient les trous. They were filling the holes.

Other Conjugations for Boucher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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