Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bouturer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bouturer

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The English translation of the French verb “bouturer” is “to propagate” or “to take cuttings.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “bouturer” is [bu.ty.ʁe].

“Bouturer” comes from the Middle French word “bouter,” which means “to push.” It is commonly used in everyday French to refer to the action of taking a cutting from a plant in order to create a new one. This technique of plant propagation involves cutting a piece of a plant, typically a stem or a leaf, and replanting it to grow roots and develop into a new individual.

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

  1. Chaque printemps, je bouturais mes rosiers pour les multiplier.
    (Every spring, I used to take cuttings of my rose bushes to multiply them.)

  2. Pendant mon enfance, ma mère bouturait souvent ses plantes d’intérieur.
    (During my childhood, my mother would often propagate her indoor plants.)

  3. Nous bouturions régulièrement les arbustes du jardin pour en créer de nouveaux.
    (We used to propagate the shrubs in the garden regularly to create new ones.)

In these examples, the imparfait tense is used to describe past habitual actions or ongoing situations.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bouturer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bouturais Je bouturais les plantes. I was propagating the plants.
tu bouturais Tu bouturais des fleurs. You were propagating flowers.
il bouturait Il bouturait les arbustes. He was propagating shrubs.
elle bouturait Elle bouturait les rosiers. She was propagating rose bushes.
on bouturait On bouturait les plantes vertes. We were propagating green plants.
nous bouturions Nous bouturions les plantes d’intérieur. We were propagating indoor plants.
vous bouturiez Vous bouturiez les arbres fruitiers. You were propagating fruit trees.
ils bouturaient Ils bouturaient les plantes succulentes. They were propagating succulent plants.
elles bouturaient Elles bouturaient les orchidées. They were propagating orchids.

Other Conjugations for Bouturer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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