Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brimbaler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brimbaler

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The English translation of the French verb “brimbaler” is “to dangle” or “to swing.” The infinitive form of the verb “brimbaler” is pronounced as [bʁɛ̃balɛ].

The word “brimbaler” originated from the word “brimbel” in Old French, which meant “to swing.” It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past.

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

  1. Chaque jour, je brimbalais mes clés en marchant. (Every day, I used to dangle my keys while walking.)
  2. Ils brimbalaient leurs pieds sur le bord de la piscine. (They were dangling their feet on the edge of the pool.)
  3. Pendant notre promenade, nous brimbalions nos bras au rythme de la musique. (During our walk, we were swinging our arms to the rhythm of the music.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of brimbaler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je brimbais Je brimbais ma guitare. I was strumming my guitar.
tu brimbais Tu brimbais ta tasse. You were jingling your cup.
il brimbait Il brimbait ses clés. He was jangling his keys.
elle brimbait Elle brimbait son bracelet. She was jingling her bracelet.
on brimbait On brimbait nos pièces de monnaie. We were jingling our coins.
nous brimbions Nous brimbions nos boucles d’oreilles. We were jingling our earrings.
vous brimbiez Vous brimbiez vos clefs. You were jingling your keys.
ils brimbaient Ils brimbaient leurs bracelets. They were jingling their bracelets.
elles brimbaient Elles brimbaient leurs bijoux. They were jingling their jewelry.

Other Conjugations for Brimbaler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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