Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boycotter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boycotter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of boycotter. 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 “boycotter” is “to boycott.” The infinitive form “boycotter” is pronounced as “bwah-koh-teh.”

The term “boycotter” originates from the name of Charles C. Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland during the late 19th century. He became the target of a social and economic protest, which involved refusing to do business with or engage in any social interaction with him. This form of protest was then named after him, and the verb “boycotter” was created.

In everyday French usage, the verb “boycotter” is most commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions or habits in the past. Here are three examples:

  1. Pendant la guerre, nous boycottions les produits de ce pays. (During the war, we were boycotting products from that country.)
  2. Quand j’étais étudiant, je boycottais les marques qui ne respectaient pas l’environnement. (When I was a student, I used to boycott brands that didn’t respect the environment.)
  3. Mes parents boycottaient régulièrement les grandes chaînes de fast-food. (My parents were regularly boycotting big fast-food chains.)

English translations:

  1. During the war, we were boycotting products from that country.
  2. When I was a student, I used to boycott brands that didn’t respect the environment.
  3. My parents were regularly boycotting big fast-food chains.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of boycotter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je boycottais Je boycottais les produits étrangers. I was boycotting foreign products.
tu boycottais Tu boycottais les grandes entreprises. You were boycotting big companies.
il boycottait Il boycottait les manifestations. He was boycotting the demonstrations.
elle boycottait Elle boycottait les marques de luxe. She was boycotting luxury brands.
on boycottait On boycottait les restaurants rapides. We were boycotting fast food restaurants.
nous boycottions Nous boycottions les produits toxiques. We were boycotting toxic products.
vous boycottiez Vous boycottiez les chaînes de télévision. You were boycotting TV channels.
ils boycottaient Ils boycottaient les compétitions sportives. They were boycotting sports competitions.
elles boycottaient Elles boycottaient les livres censurés. They were boycotting censored books.

Other Conjugations for Boycotter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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