Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bruiter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bruiter

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The English translation of the French verb “bruiter” is “to circulate” or “to spread rumors.” The infinitive form “bruiter” is pronounced as “bʀɥite.”

The word “bruiter” comes from the Old French verb “bruitier,” which means “to make noise” or “to spread news.” It originated from the Latin word “brŭitus,” meaning “noise” or “rumor.”

In everyday French, “bruiter” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense with their English translations:

  1. Les rumeurs bruitaient dans le quartier chaque fois qu’il y avait un accident.
    (Rumors were circulating in the neighborhood every time there was an accident.)

  2. On bruiterait souvent de mauvaises nouvelles à l’époque.
    (We used to often spread bad news back then.)

  3. Les médias bruitaient des rumeurs sur la vie privée de la célébrité.
    (The media was spreading rumors about the celebrity’s private life.)

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of bruiter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je bruissais Je bruissais des feuilles. I was rustling the leaves.
tu bruissais Tu bruissais de rires. You were rustling with laughter.
il bruissait Il bruissait dans la forêt. He was rustling in the forest.
elle bruissait Elle bruissait de soie. She was rustling with silk.
on bruissait On bruissait de murmures. We were rustling with whispers.
nous bruissions Nous bruissions de bonheur. We were rustling with happiness.
vous bruissiez Vous bruissiez de nouvelles. You were rustling with news.
ils bruissaient Ils bruissaient de rumeurs. They were rustling with rumors.
elles bruissaient Elles bruissaient de conversations. They were rustling with conversations.

Other Conjugations for Bruiter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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