Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bouler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bouler

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The English translation of the French verb “bouler” is “to bowl”. The infinitive form “bouler” is pronounced as [boo-leh].

The verb “bouler” comes from the English word “bowl” and belongs to the informal language register. In everyday French, it is commonly used to refer to playing the sport of bowling or engaging in a casual game of bowling with friends. It can also be used metaphorically to mean “to roll” or “to throw”.

Here are three simple examples of how “bouler” is used in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je boulais tous les samedis avec mes amis.
    (I used to bowl every Saturday with my friends.)

  2. Pendant les vacances, nous boulions souvent au bowling du quartier.
    (During the holidays, we would often bowl at the local bowling alley.)

  3. Elle boulait très bien, mais elle ne jouait plus depuis longtemps.
    (She used to bowl very well, but she hadn’t played in a long time.)

English translations:

  1. I used to bowl every Saturday with my friends.
  2. During the holidays, we would often go bowling at the local alley.
  3. She used to bowl very well, but she hadn’t played in a long time.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bouler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bouillais Je bouillais d’impatience. I was boiling with impatience.
tu bouillais Tu bouillais de colère. You were boiling with anger.
il bouillait Il bouillait d’énergie. He was boiling with energy.
elle bouillait Elle bouillait d’excitation. She was boiling with excitement.
on bouillait On bouillait de chaleur. We were boiling with heat.
nous bouillions Nous bouillions d’idées. We were boiling with ideas.
vous bouilliez Vous bouilliez d’imagination. You were boiling with imagination.
ils bouillaient Ils bouillaient de rage. They were boiling with rage.
elles bouillaient Elles bouillaient de jalousie. They were boiling with jealousy.

Other Conjugations for Bouler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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