Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb briquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb briquer

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The English translation of the French verb “briquer” is “to polish” or “to shine.” The infinitive form, “briquer,” is pronounced as “breek-ay.”

The word “briquer” comes from the Old French word “brique,” meaning “brick.” It originated from the Latin word “bricus,” which referred to a type of tile used for construction.

In everyday French, “briquer” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Here are three examples:

  1. Je briquais mes chaussures tous les matins.
    (I used to polish my shoes every morning.)

  2. Tu briquais la table pendant que je préparais le dîner.
    (You were polishing the table while I was preparing dinner.)

  3. Ils/Elles briquaient les trophées avant chaque compétition.
    (They used to polish the trophies before every competition.)

Note: The translations provided are just one way to express the sentences in English; there could be variations depending on the context.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of briquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je brinquais Je brinquais avec mes jouets. I used to play with my toys.
tu brinquais Tu brinquais avec ta sœur. You used to play with your sister.
il brinquait Il brinquait dans le parc. He used to play in the park.
elle brinquait Elle brinquait avec son chien. She used to play with her dog.
on brinquait On brinquait ensemble. We used to play together.
nous brinquions Nous brinquions à la plage. We used to play at the beach.
vous brinquiez Vous brinquiez avec vos amis. You used to play with your friends.
ils brinquaient Ils brinquaient au football. They used to play soccer.
elles brinquaient Elles brinquaient avec leurs poupées. They used to play with their dolls.

Other Conjugations for Briquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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