Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bouffonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bouffonner

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The English translation of the French verb bouffonner is “to clown around” or “to joke around.” The infinitive form bouffonner is pronounced as “boo-foh-nay.”

The word bouffonner has its origins in the noun “bouffon,” which means “jester” or “clown.” The verb bouffonner is derived from the noun and is often used to describe playful or humorous behavior. In everyday French, it is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which indicates an ongoing or repeated action in the past. It can also convey a sense of nostalgia or set the background for another event.

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

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je bouffonnais tout le temps avec mes frères et sœurs.
    (When I was a child, I used to clown around all the time with my brothers and sisters.)

  2. Pendant les réunions ennuyeuses, on bouffonnait discrètement pour se divertir.
    (During boring meetings, we used to joke around discreetly to entertain ourselves.)

  3. Tous les étudiants se mettaient à bouffonner dès que le professeur tournait le dos.
    (All the students would start clowning around as soon as the teacher turned their back.)

Please note that these translations are approximate as the imparfait tense doesn’t always have an exact equivalent in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bouffonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bouffonnais Je bouffonnais devant le miroir. I used to clown around in front of the mirror.
tu bouffonnais Tu bouffonnais pendant les réunions. You used to fool around during meetings.
il bouffonnait Il bouffonnait pour faire rire les autres. He used to clown to make others laugh.
elle bouffonnait Elle bouffonnait avec ses amis. She used to clown around with her friends.
on bouffonnait On bouffonnait pendant les fêtes. We used to clown around during parties.
nous bouffonnions Nous bouffonnions en classe. We used to clown around in class.
vous bouffonniez Vous bouffonniez au théâtre. You used to clown around at the theater.
ils bouffonnaient Ils bouffonnaient pour divertir le public. They used to clown to entertain the audience.
elles bouffonnaient Elles bouffonnaient lors des soirées. They used to clown around during parties.

Other Conjugations for Bouffonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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