Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Introduction to the verb bricoler
The English translation of the French verb “bricoler” is “to tinker” or “to do odd jobs.” The infinitive form “bricoler” is pronounced as “bree-koh-lay.”
The word “bricoler” comes from the noun “bricolage,” which refers to the activity of making things, particularly with available materials or in a makeshift manner. In everyday French, “bricoler” is often used in the imparfait tense to describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.
Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their respective English translations:
-
Quand j’étais jeune, je bricolais souvent dans le garage de mon père.
(When I was young, I used to tinker a lot in my father’s garage.) -
Chaque weekend, nous bricolions ensemble pour améliorer notre maison.
(Every weekend, we used to do odd jobs together to improve our house.) -
Pendant les vacances d’été, il bricolait sur son vieux vélo pour le remettre en état.
(During the summer holidays, he used to tinker with his old bike to fix it up.)
Note: The imparfait tense is often used in French to describe repeated or ongoing actions in the past.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bricoler
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | bricolais | Je bricolais dans mon garage. | I was tinkering in my garage. |
tu | bricolais | Tu bricolais souvent le week-end. | You used to tinker often on weekends. |
il | bricolait | Il bricolait avec son père. | He was tinkering with his father. |
elle | bricolait | Elle bricolait des meubles. | She was tinkering with furniture. |
on | bricolait | On bricolait ensemble. | We were tinkering together. |
nous | bricolions | Nous bricolions nos vélos. | We were tinkering with our bikes. |
vous | bricoliez | Vous bricoliez dans la cuisine. | You were tinkering in the kitchen. |
ils | bricolaient | Ils bricolaient dans le jardin. | They were tinkering in the garden. |
elles | bricolaient | Elles bricolaient souvent. | They used to tinker often. |
Other Conjugations for Bricoler.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bricoler
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Bricoler – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb bricoler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!