Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb broncher

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb broncher

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of broncher. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “broncher” is “to flinch,” “to wince,” or “to stumble.” The infinitive form of “broncher” is pronounced as /bʁɔ̃.ʃe/.

The verb “broncher” originated from the Old French word “bronchier” meaning “to flinch” or “to stumble” and has its roots in the Latin word “brunceāre” with a similar meaning. In everyday French, the verb “broncher” is often used in the imparfait tense to describe a repeated or ongoing action in the past.

Three examples of “broncher” in the imparfait tense with their English translations are:

  1. Je bronchais à chaque fois qu’il me touchait.
    (I would flinch every time he touched me.)

  2. Tu ne bronchais jamais lorsque les autres se moquaient de toi.
    (You never flinched when others made fun of you.)

  3. Les enfants bronchaient lorsqu’ils entendaient un bruit fort.
    (The children would flinch when they heard a loud noise.)

Note: The imparfait tense in French is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past and can be translated into different forms in English depending on the context. The translations provided here aim to capture the general meaning of the sentences.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of broncher

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bronchais Je bronchais souvent. I often hesitated.
tu bronchais Tu bronchais devant lui. You hesitated in front of him.
il bronchait Il bronchait à chaque question. He hesitated at every question.
elle bronchait Elle bronchait avant de parler. She hesitated before speaking.
on bronchait On bronchait devant la foule. We hesitated in front of the crowd.
nous bronchions Nous bronchions tous ensemble. We all hesitated together.
vous bronchiez Vous bronchiez devant le jury. You hesitated in front of the jury.
ils bronchaient Ils bronchaient devant le danger. They hesitated in front of the danger.
elles bronchaient Elles bronchaient à chaque proposition. They hesitated at every proposition.

Other Conjugations for Broncher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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