Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dribbler

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dribbler

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of dribbler. 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 “dribbler” is “to dribble.” The infinitive form of dribbler is pronounced as “dree-blay.”

Dribbler is primarily used in sports contexts, specifically in soccer (known as football in most countries outside the United States). It refers to the action of guiding a ball forward with small, quick touches using the feet, usually while moving.

In everyday French, in the imparfait tense (imperfect tense), dribbler is commonly used to describe repeated or ongoing actions in the past. It sets the scene or provides background information in a narrative.

Examples of its usage in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais jeune, je dribblais tous les jours au parc. (When I was young, I used to dribble every day in the park.)
  2. Nous jouions au football, et il dribblait les défenseurs avec facilité. (We were playing football, and he was dribbling past defenders with ease.)
  3. Pendant l’entraînement, les joueurs dribblaient autour des cônes pour améliorer leur technique. (During the training session, the players were dribbling around the cones to improve their skills.)

English translations:

  1. When I was young, I used to dribble every day in the park.
  2. We were playing football, and he was dribbling past defenders with ease.
  3. During the training session, the players were dribbling around the cones to improve their skills.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of dribbler

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je dribblais Je dribblais tous les joueurs. I was dribbling all the players.
tu dribblais Tu dribblais très bien. You were dribbling very well.
il dribblait Il dribblait avec agilité. He was dribbling with agility.
elle dribblait Elle dribblait rapidement. She was dribbling quickly.
on dribblait On dribblait en équipe. We were dribbling as a team.
nous dribblions Nous dribblions les adversaires. We were dribbling the opponents.
vous dribbliez Vous dribbliez avec précision. You were dribbling with precision.
ils dribblaient Ils dribblaient sans relâche. They were dribbling relentlessly.
elles dribblaient Elles dribblaient avec adresse. They were dribbling skillfully.

Other Conjugations for Dribbler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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