Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb brusquer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb brusquer

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The English translation of the French verb “brusquer” is “to rush” or “to hurry.” The infinitive form “brusquer” is pronounced as [bʀyske].

The word “brusquer” comes from the Italian word “brusco,” meaning “abrupt” or “rough.” It entered the French language in the 17th century and initially had a negative connotation, referring to a sudden, rough, or impolite behavior towards someone.

In everyday French, the verb “brusquer” is most often used in the imparfait tense to describe a habitual or ongoing action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Je le brusquais souvent lorsqu’il était enfant.
    (I used to rush/hurry him often when he was a child.)

  2. Nous brusquions le temps en nous dépêchant tous les jours.
    (We would rush/hurry time by hurrying every day.)

  3. Les clients se plaignaient car la serveuse les brusquait souvent.
    (The customers would complain because the waitress would rush/hurry them often.)

English translations:

  1. I used to rush/hurry him often when he was a child.
  2. We would rush/hurry time by hurrying every day.
  3. The customers would complain because the waitress would rush/hurry them often.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of brusquer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je brusquais Je brusquais mes collègues. I was being abrupt with my colleagues.
tu brusquais Tu brusquais les clients. You were being abrupt with the clients.
il brusquait Il brusquait sa famille. He was being abrupt with his family.
elle brusquait Elle brusquait ses amis. She was being abrupt with her friends.
on brusquait On brusquait tout le monde. We were being abrupt with everyone.
nous brusquions Nous brusquions nos voisins. We were being abrupt with our neighbors.
vous brusquiez Vous brusquiez les étudiants. You were being abrupt with the students.
ils brusquaient Ils brusquaient leurs collègues. They were being abrupt with their colleagues.
elles brusquaient Elles brusquaient leurs professeurs. They were being abrupt with their teachers.

Other Conjugations for Brusquer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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