Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brinquebaler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brinquebaler

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The English translation of the French verb “brinquebaler” is “to toss around” or “to jumble.” The infinitive form “brinquebaler” is pronounced as “brank-ba-lay.”

The word “brinquebaler” is derived from the combination of two verbs: “brinque” and “baler.” “Brinque” originates from the Old French term “brinquen” meaning “to swing.” “Baler” comes from the Old French word “bale” meaning “to throw.” In everyday French, “brinquebaler” is typically used in the imparfait tense to describe repetitive or ongoing actions in the past.

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

  1. Chaque matin, elle brinquebalait ses clés avant de partir. (Every morning, she used to toss around her keys before leaving.)
  2. Pendant notre déménagement, nous brinquebalions les cartons d’une pièce à l’autre. (During our move, we were jumbling the boxes from one room to another.)
  3. Les enfants brinquebalaient leurs jouets dans le salon pendant des heures. (The children used to toss their toys around in the living room for hours.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of brinquebaler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je brinquebalais Je brinquebalais mes clés. I was jingling my keys.
tu brinquebalais Tu brinquebalais ton vélo. You were wobbling your bike.
il brinquebalait Il brinquebalait dans la rue. He was wobbling down the street.
elle brinquebalait Elle brinquebalait sa valise. She was jingling her suitcase.
on brinquebalait On brinquebalait en chantant. We were wobbling while singing.
nous brinquebalions Nous brinquebalions dans la voiture. We were jingling in the car.
vous brinquebaliez Vous brinquebaliez vos affaires. You were wobbling your belongings.
ils brinquebalaient Ils brinquebalaient leurs jouets. They were jingling their toys.
elles brinquebalaient Elles brinquebalaient en dansant. They were wobbling while dancing.

Other Conjugations for Brinquebaler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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