Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bourriquer

Introduction to the verb bourriquer

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The English translation of the French verb “bourriquer” is “to act silly” or “to play the fool.”

The infinitive form “bourriquer” is pronounced as /buʁik/.

“Bourriquer” is derived from the noun “bourrique,” which means a donkey or a foolish person. In everyday French, it is often used in the imparfait tense to describe actions or behaviors of acting foolishly or being silly in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, je bourriquais tout le temps. (When I was a child, I used to act silly all the time.)
  2. Pendant la soirée, ils bourriquaient en dansant. (During the party, they were playing the fool while dancing.)
  3. Nous bourriquions en classe, ce qui agaçait notre professeur. (We used to act silly in class, which annoyed our teacher.)

English translations:

  1. When I was a child, I used to act silly all the time.
  2. During the party, they were playing the fool while dancing.
  3. We used to act silly in class, which annoyed our teacher.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bourriquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bourriquais Je bourriquais dans la forêt. I used to wander in the forest.
tu bourriquais Tu bourriquais souvent. You used to wander often.
il bourriquait Il bourriquait avec ses amis. He used to wander with his friends.
elle bourriquait Elle bourriquait dans la nature. She used to wander in nature.
on bourriquait On bourriquait tranquillement. We used to wander peacefully.
nous bourriquions Nous bourriquions dans la campagne. We used to wander in the countryside.
vous bourriquiez Vous bourriquiez joyeusement. You used to wander happily.
ils bourriquaient Ils bourriquaient sans hâte. They used to wander leisurely.
elles bourriquaient Elles bourriquaient avec légèreté. They used to wander with lightness.

Other Conjugations for Bourriquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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