Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bretailler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bretailler

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The English translation of the French verb “bretailler” is “to wrangle.” The infinitive form, “bretailler,” is pronounced as “bray-tah-yay.”

The word “bretailler” has its origins in the Old French word “bretailier,” which means “to fight.” It is derived from the Old High German word “britilōn,” which means “to make war.” In everyday French, “bretailler” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated wrangling or quarreling in the past.

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

  1. Nous bretaillions souvent sur des sujets politiques.
    Translation: We used to wrangle often about political subjects.

  2. Les voisins bretaillaient régulièrement à propos du bruit.
    Translation: The neighbors would often wrangle about the noise.

  3. Pendant les réunions, ils bretaillaient constamment sur la meilleure stratégie.
    Translation: During the meetings, they would constantly wrangle about the best strategy.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bretailler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bretaillais Je bretaillais contre le vent. I was struggling against the wind.
tu bretaillais Tu bretaillais pour comprendre. You were struggling to understand.
il bretaillait Il bretaillait avec sa conscience. He was wrestling with his conscience.
elle bretaillait Elle bretaillait pour se faire entendre. She was struggling to make herself heard.
on bretaillait On bretaillait pour survivre. We were struggling to survive.
nous bretaillions Nous bretaillions ensemble. We were struggling together.
vous bretailliez Vous bretailliez pour atteindre le sommet. You were struggling to reach the top.
ils bretaillaient Ils bretaillaient pour obtenir justice. They were struggling to get justice.
elles bretaillaient Elles bretaillaient contre le système. They were struggling against the system.

Other Conjugations for Bretailler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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