Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bourreler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bourreler

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The English translation of the French verb “bourreler” is “to stuff.” The infinitive form, “bourreler,” is pronounced as “boor-uh-le.”

The verb “bourreler” comes from the noun “bourre,” which means “padding” or “stuffing.” It is a regular verb that is mostly used in everyday French in the imparfait tense. The imparfait tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It is commonly used to set the scene, provide background information, or describe habitual actions in the past.

Here are three simple examples of “bourreler” used in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Nous bourrions le coussin avec de la ouate.
    (We were stuffing the cushion with cotton wool.)

  2. Ils bourrelaient les poupées avec des fibres synthétiques.
    (They were stuffing the dolls with synthetic fibers.)

  3. Tu bourrelais les oreillers avec de la plume.
    (You were stuffing the pillows with feathers.)

Note: The translations provided are just one possible way to express the meaning of the sentences in English.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bourreler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bourrelais Je bourrelais les valises. I was stuffing the suitcases.
tu bourrelais Tu bourrelais le sac. You were stuffing the bag.
il bourrelait Il bourrelait le coussin. He was stuffing the cushion.
elle bourrelait Elle bourrelait la poupée. She was stuffing the doll.
on bourrelait On bourrelait les oreillers. We were stuffing the pillows.
nous bourrelions Nous bourrelions les vêtements. We were stuffing the clothes.
vous bourreliez Vous bourreliez les chaussures. You were stuffing the shoes.
ils bourrelaient Ils bourrelaient les matelas. They were stuffing the mattresses.
elles bourrelaient Elles bourrelaient les sacs. They were stuffing the bags.

Other Conjugations for Bourreler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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