Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boulocher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boulocher

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The English translation of the French verb “boulocher” is “to pill,” meaning to form small balls or pill-like clusters on a fabric or surface. The pronunciation of the infinitive form “boulocher” is “boo-loh-shay.”

The term “boulocher” comes from the noun “boule,” which means “ball” in French. It is most commonly used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe past habitual or ongoing actions. This tense is used to talk about actions that were happening repeatedly or continuously in the past.

Here are three examples of “boulocher” in the imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, mon pull boulochait tout le temps.
    (When I was young, my sweater used to pill all the time.)

  2. Nous avions une vieille couverture qui boulochait énormément.
    (We had an old blanket that used to pill a lot.)

  3. Les chaussettes en laine de ma grand-mère boulochaient à chaque fois qu’elle les portait.
    (My grandmother’s woolen socks used to pill every time she wore them.)

Note: These translations provide the general meaning of the sentences, but may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of boulocher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je boulochais Je boulochais mon pull. I was pilling my sweater.
tu boulochais Tu boulochais tes chaussettes. You were pilling your socks.
il boulochait Il boulochait son écharpe. He was pilling his scarf.
elle boulochait Elle boulochait sa robe. She was pilling her dress.
on boulochait On boulochait nos pulls. We were pilling our sweaters.
nous boulochions Nous boulochions nos vêtements. We were pilling our clothes.
vous boulochiez Vous boulochiez vos couvertures. You were pilling your blankets.
ils boulochaient Ils boulochaient leurs écharpes. They were pilling their scarves.
elles boulochaient Elles boulochaient leurs pulls. They were pilling their sweaters.

Other Conjugations for Boulocher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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