Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bouffer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bouffer

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The English translation of the French verb bouffer is “to gobble” or “to stuff oneself.” The infinitive form “bouffer” is pronounced as “boo-fay.”

The word “bouffer” comes from the colloquial French word “buffet” meaning “to eat” or “to devour.” It is often used in everyday French to express the action of eating in a casual or even gluttonous manner. It can also convey the idea of eating quickly or voraciously.

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

  1. Chaque soir, nous bouffions des pizzas. (Every evening, we used to gobble down pizzas.)
  2. Quand j’étais enfant, je bouffais toujours mes légumes. (When I was a child, I would always stuff myself with vegetables.)
  3. Pendant nos vacances, nous bouffions du pain et du fromage tous les jours. (During our holidays, we would eat bread and cheese every day.)

Please note that “bouffer” is a colloquial or informal verb, and its usage may vary depending on the context or the degree of formality required.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bouffer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je buvais Je buvais du café. I was drinking coffee.
tu buvais Tu buvais trop. You were drinking too much.
il buvait Il buvait du thé. He was drinking tea.
elle buvait Elle buvait de l’eau. She was drinking water.
on buvait On buvait du vin. We were drinking wine.
nous buvions Nous buvions du lait. We were drinking milk.
vous buviez Vous buviez du jus d’orange. You were drinking orange juice.
ils buvaient Ils buvaient de la bière. They were drinking beer.
elles buvaient Elles buvaient du soda. They were drinking soda.

Other Conjugations for Bouffer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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