Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bouder

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bouder

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The English translation of the French verb “bouder” is “to sulk.” The infinitive form of “bouder” is pronounced as “boo-deh.”

The verb “bouder” originated from the Old French word “bodoir” which meant “to pout.” It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the act of sulking or being in a bad mood. It is often used in the imparfait tense, which is the past tense used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je boudais tout le temps.
    (When I was a child, I used to sulk all the time.)

  2. Elle boude parce que je ne lui ai pas offert de cadeau.
    (She is sulking because I didn’t give her a gift.)

  3. Nous boudions chaque fois qu’on ne nous laissait pas sortir.
    (We would sulk every time we weren’t allowed to go out.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bouder

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je boudais Je boudais souvent. I used to sulk often.
tu boudais Tu boudais facilement. You used to sulk easily.
il boudait Il boudait tout le temps. He used to sulk all the time.
elle boudait Elle boudait quand elle était contrariée. She used to sulk when she was upset.
on boudait On boudait quand on ne pouvait pas avoir ce qu’on voulait. We used to sulk when we couldn’t get what we wanted.
nous boudions Nous boudions pendant des heures. We used to sulk for hours.
vous boudiez Vous boudiez sans raison. You used to sulk for no reason.
ils boudaient Ils boudaient après la dispute. They used to sulk after the argument.
elles boudaient Elles boudaient quand elles étaient contrariées. They used to sulk when they were upset.

Other Conjugations for Bouder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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