Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bouquiner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bouquiner

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of bouquiner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “bouquiner” is “to read (books) casually.” The infinitive form of “bouquiner” is pronounced as “boo-kee-neh.”

“Bouquiner” is derived from the word “bouquin,” which refers to a small, old, or second-hand book. The verb is commonly used in everyday French to express the act of reading books in a relaxed or leisurely manner. It implies a sense of enjoyment and leisure in reading rather than a focused or intense activity.

Examples of “bouquiner” in the imparfait tense and their English translations:

  1. Je bouquinais tous les soirs avant de dormir. (I used to read casually every night before sleeping.)
  2. Chaque après-midi, nous bouquinions dans le parc. (Every afternoon, we used to read books casually in the park.)
  3. Pendant les vacances, tu bouquinais tout le temps. (During the holidays, you used to read books casually all the time.)

Note: The imparfait tense in French is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, often with no specific beginning or end.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bouquiner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bouquinais Je bouquinais tout le temps. I used to read all the time.
tu bouquinais Tu bouquinais des romans. You used to read novels.
il bouquinait Il bouquinait dans le parc. He used to read in the park.
elle bouquinait Elle bouquinait avant de dormir. She used to read before sleeping.
on bouquinait On bouquinait ensemble. We used to read together.
nous bouquinions Nous bouquinions pendant les vacances. We used to read during the holidays.
vous bouquiniez Vous bouquiniez beaucoup. You used to read a lot.
ils bouquinaient Ils bouquinaient dans la bibliothèque. They used to read in the library.
elles bouquinaient Elles bouquinaient tous les soirs. They used to read every evening.

Other Conjugations for Bouquiner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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