Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb breveter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb breveter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of breveter. 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 “breveter” is “to patent.” The infinitive form “breveter” is pronounced as “breh-vuh-tey.”

The word “breveter” comes from the noun “brevet,” meaning “patent” in French. The noun “brevet” itself originates from Latin “brevetum,” which refers to a formal document or letter. In everyday French, the verb “breveter” is used to describe the act of obtaining a patent for an invention or innovation.

Examples of “breveter” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Nous brevetions nos inventions chaque année.
    (We used to patent our inventions every year.)

  2. Tu brevetais tes idées sans jamais les concrétiser.
    (You used to patent your ideas without ever making them concrete.)

  3. Ils brevetaient leurs découvertes scientifiques régulièrement.
    (They used to patent their scientific discoveries regularly.)

English translations:

  1. We used to patent our inventions every year.
  2. You used to patent your ideas without ever making them concrete.
  3. They used to patent their scientific discoveries regularly.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of breveter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je brevetais Je brevetais mes inventions. I used to patent my inventions.
tu brevetais Tu brevetais tes idées. You used to patent your ideas.
il brevetait Il brevetait ses découvertes. He used to patent his discoveries.
elle brevetait Elle brevetait ses innovations. She used to patent her innovations.
on brevetait On brevetait les nouvelles technologies. We used to patent new technologies.
nous brevetions Nous brevetions nos créations. We used to patent our creations.
vous brevetiez Vous brevetiez vos inventions. You used to patent your inventions.
ils brevetaient Ils brevetaient leurs designs. They used to patent their designs.
elles brevetaient Elles brevetaient leurs concepts. They used to patent their concepts.

Other Conjugations for Breveter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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