Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bourdonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bourdonner

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The English translation of the French verb “bourdonner” is “to buzz” or “to hum.” The infinitive form “bourdonner” is pronounced as [buʁ.dɔ.ne].

The verb “bourdonner” comes from the Old French word “burdoignier,” which means “to buzz” or “to drone.” It is derived from the onomatopoeic sound “bourdon,” which imitates the buzzing or humming sound. This verb is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense, which corresponds to the English past continuous tense.

Here are three simple examples of the usage of “bourdonner” in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:

  1. Les abeilles bourdonnaient dans le jardin.
    (The bees were buzzing in the garden.)

  2. Pendant la réunion, le ventilateur bourdonnait dans la salle.
    (During the meeting, the fan was humming in the room.)

  3. Quand j’étais enfant, les voitures anciennes bourdonnaient dans les rues.
    (When I was a child, vintage cars used to buzz in the streets.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or continuous actions in the past, emphasizing the buzzing or humming sound in various contexts.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bourdonner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bourdonnais Je bourdonnais dans l’air. I was buzzing in the air.
tu bourdonnais Tu bourdonnais autour des fleurs. You were buzzing around the flowers.
il bourdonnait Il bourdonnait dans le jardin. He was buzzing in the garden.
elle bourdonnait Elle bourdonnait près de la fenêtre. She was buzzing near the window.
on bourdonnait On bourdonnait dans la prairie. We were buzzing in the meadow.
nous bourdonnions Nous bourdonnions joyeusement. We were buzzing happily.
vous bourdonniez Vous bourdonniez sans cesse. You were buzzing constantly.
ils bourdonnaient Ils bourdonnaient dans les arbres. They were buzzing in the trees.
elles bourdonnaient Elles bourdonnaient autour des ruches. They were buzzing around the beehives.

Other Conjugations for Bourdonner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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