Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bousculer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bousculer

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The English translation of the French verb “bousculer” is “to jostle” or “to shove.” The infinitive form “bousculer” is pronounced as [boo-skoo-leh].

The word “bousculer” originated from the Old French term “bosculer,” which means to shake or jog. It is derived from the Latin word “bucculus,” meaning “cheek” or “face.” In everyday French, “bousculer” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe continuous or repeated actions in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais petit, je bousculais souvent mes frères et sœurs.
    (When I was little, I would often jostle my brothers and sisters.)

  2. Nous nous bousculions pour obtenir les meilleurs sièges au cinéma.
    (We used to jostle each other to get the best seats at the cinema.)

  3. Pendant la manifestation, les policiers bousculaient les manifestants.
    (During the protest, the police were shoving the demonstrators.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bousculer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bousculais Je bousculais les gens dans la foule. I used to jostle people in the crowd.
tu bousculais Tu bousculais tes camarades de classe. You used to push your classmates.
il bousculait Il bousculait les passants sans faire attention. He used to shove pedestrians without paying attention.
elle bousculait Elle bousculait les règles du jeu. She used to violate the rules of the game.
on bousculait On bousculait les traditions. We used to disrupt the traditions.
nous bousculions Nous bousculions les habitudes de la société. We used to shake up the society’s habits.
vous bousculiez Vous bousculiez les normes établies. You used to challenge established norms.
ils bousculaient Ils bousculaient les adversaires sur le terrain. They used to rough up opponents on the field.
elles bousculaient Elles bousculaient les stéréotypes de genre. They used to defy gender stereotypes.

Other Conjugations for Bousculer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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