Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bouteiller

Introduction to the verb bouteiller

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of bouteiller. 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 “bouteiller” is “to bottle.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “bouteiller” is /bu.tə.je/.

The word “bouteiller” comes from the Old French noun “butele,” meaning “bottle.” It was derived from the Latin word “buttis,” which also means “cask” or “bottle.” In everyday French, the verb “bouteiller” is used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past.

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

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je bouteillais du vin tous les jours.
    (When I was young, I used to bottle wine every day.)

  2. Nous bouteillions les fruits dans des bocaux pendant l’été.
    (We used to bottle fruits in jars during the summer.)

  3. Pendant les vacances, mon grand-père bouteillait sa propre limonade.
    (During the holidays, my grandfather used to bottle his own lemonade.)

Please note that the provided examples are formulated based on the information given. Actual usage may vary depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bouteiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bouteillais Je bouteillais le vin. I bottled the wine.
tu bouteillais Tu bouteillais les boissons. You bottled the drinks.
il bouteillait Il bouteillait le champagne. He bottled the champagne.
elle bouteillait Elle bouteillait le jus. She bottled the juice.
on bouteillait On bouteillait les spiritueux. We bottled the spirits.
nous bouteillions Nous bouteillions les boissons gazeuses. We bottled the sodas.
vous bouteilliez Vous bouteilliez l’eau minérale. You bottled the mineral water.
ils bouteillaient Ils bouteillaient le vin rouge. They bottled the red wine.
elles bouteillaient Elles bouteillaient le vin blanc. They bottled the white wine.

Other Conjugations for Bouteiller.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the bouteiller imparfait tense conjugation! 

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply