Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brigander

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brigander

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The English translation of the French verb brigander is “to rob” or “to plunder.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form “brigander” is [bʁiɡɑ̃de].

The word “brigander” originates from the term “brigand,” which means “bandit” or “outlaw” in English. It comes from the Old Italian word “brigante,” which also refers to a bandit or highwayman. In everyday French, the verb brigander is used in the imparfait tense to describe past actions of robbing or plundering.

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

  1. Chaque nuit, ils brigandaient des caravanes sur la route principale.
    (Every night, they used to rob caravans on the main road.)

  2. L’équipe de braqueurs brigandait souvent les banques de la ville.
    (The team of robbers would often plunder banks in the city.)

  3. Pendant la guerre, les soldats ennemis brigandaient les villages voisins.
    (During the war, the enemy soldiers would rob the neighboring villages.)

Note: The translations provided here are in the simple past tense to convey the meaning of the imparfait tense in English, which does not have a direct equivalent.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of brigander

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je brigandais Je brigandais souvent. I used to plunder often.
tu brigandais Tu brigandais autrefois. You used to plunder in the past.
il brigandait Il brigandait la nuit. He used to plunder at night.
elle brigandait Elle brigandait discrètement. She used to plunder discreetly.
on brigandait On brigandait dans les montagnes. We used to plunder in the mountains.
nous brigandions Nous brigandions en équipe. We used to plunder as a team.
vous brigandiez Vous brigandiez avec audace. You used to plunder boldly.
ils brigandaient Ils brigandaient les riches. They used to plunder the rich.
elles brigandaient Elles brigandaient sans pitié. They used to plunder mercilessly.

Other Conjugations for Brigander.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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