Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb buter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb buter

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The English translation of the French verb “buter” is “to collide” or “to bump into.” The infinitive form of “buter” is pronounced as “byu-tey.”

The word “buter” comes from the Latin word “buttare,” meaning “to thrust.” In everyday French, “buter” is most commonly used in the imparfait tense, which expresses ongoing or repeated actions in the past.

Three examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations, are:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je butais toujours contre les meubles.
    (When I was young, I would always bump into furniture.)

  2. Ils butaient souvent l’un contre l’autre dans le parc.
    (They would often collide with each other in the park.)

  3. Nous butions régulièrement sur les mêmes problèmes.
    (We would regularly run into the same problems.)

These examples demonstrate the use of “buter” in the imparfait tense to describe repeated or ongoing collisions or bumps in the past.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of buter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je butais Je butais contre la porte. I was bumping into the door.
tu butais Tu butais souvent. You were stumbling often.
il butait Il butait sur les escaliers. He was tripping on the stairs.
elle butait Elle butait sur les mots. She was stumbling over her words.
on butait On butait sur des obstacles. We were stumbling over obstacles.
nous butions Nous butions sur un problème. We were struggling with a problem.
vous butiez Vous butiez contre la table. You were bumping into the table.
ils butaient Ils butaient contre le mur. They were bumping into the wall.
elles butaient Elles butaient souvent. They were stumbling often.

Other Conjugations for Buter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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