Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb budgéter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb budgéter

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The English translation of the French verb “budgéter” is “to budget.” The infinitive form “budgéter” is pronounced as “byoo-zheh-teh.”

“Budgéter” originates from the noun “budget,” which comes from the Latin word “bulga” meaning “bag” or “purse.” It entered the French language in the 16th century, initially referring to a financial statement or an estimation of income and expenses.

In everyday French, “budgéter” is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe actions or habits in the past. It conveys the idea of regularly or habitually budgeting during a specific period.

Here are three simple examples of “budgéter” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque mois, je budgétais mes dépenses avec soin. (Every month, I used to budget my expenses carefully.)
  2. Nous budgétions toutes nos dépenses pour éviter les surprises. (We would budget all our expenses to avoid surprises.)
  3. Quand nous étions jeunes, nous budgétions notre argent de poche pour les sorties. (When we were young, we used to budget our pocket money for outings.)

English translations:

  1. Every month, I used to budget my expenses carefully.
  2. We would budget all our expenses to avoid surprises.
  3. When we were young, we used to budget our pocket money for outings.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of budgéter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je budgétais Je budgétais mes dépenses. I budgeted my expenses.
tu budgétais Tu budgétais ton argent. You budgeted your money.
il budgétait Il budgétait ses projets. He budgeted his projects.
elle budgétait Elle budgétait ses dépenses. She budgeted her expenses.
on budgétait On budgétait nos revenus. We budgeted our income.
nous budgétions Nous budgétions nos dépenses. We budgeted our expenses.
vous budgétiez Vous budgétiez vos projets. You budgeted your projects.
ils budgétaient Ils budgétaient leurs dépenses. They budgeted their expenses.
elles budgétaient Elles budgétaient leurs revenus. They budgeted their income.

Other Conjugations for Budgéter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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