Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Introduction to the verb embarbouiller
The English translation of the French verb “embarbouiller” is “to confuse” or “to muddle up.” The infinitive form is pronounced as ayn-bar-boo-yay.
The verb “embarbouiller” originates from the combination of the prefix “em-” (indicating a movement towards) and “barbouiller” (meaning to make something messy or dirty). It is most often used in everyday French in the imparfait tense to describe ongoing or repetitive actions in the past.
Here are three simple examples of its usage in the imparfait tense, along with their English translations:
- Je l’embarbouillais en lui expliquant les règles du jeu.
(I was confusing him by explaining the rules of the game.) - Tu embarbouillais toujours tes devoirs avec tes distractions.
(You used to always muddle up your homework with your distractions.) - Les enfants s’embarbouillaient en racontant leurs aventures.
(The children were confusing each other while telling their stories.)
Note: The English translations may vary depending on the context.
Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of embarbouiller
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | embarbouillais | J’embarbouillais mes mots. | I was mumbling my words. |
tu | embarbouillais | Tu embarbouillais ton discours. | You were stumbling through your speech. |
il | embarbouillait | Il embarbouillait ses idées. | He was jumbling his ideas. |
elle | embarbouillait | Elle embarbouillait sa réponse. | She was muddling her answer. |
on | embarbouillait | On embarbouillait tout. | We were messing everything up. |
nous | embarbouillions | Nous embarbouillions nos affaires. | We were getting our things mixed up. |
vous | embarbouilliez | Vous embarbouilliez votre travail. | You were muddling your work. |
ils | embarbouillaient | Ils embarbouillaient leurs histoires. | They were confusing their stories. |
elles | embarbouillaient | Elles embarbouillaient leurs pensées. | They were jumbling their thoughts. |
Other Conjugations for Embarbouiller.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller (You’re reading it right now!)
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarbouiller
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Embarbouiller – About the French Imparfait Tense
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
For regular -er verbs:
For regular -ir verbs
For regular -re verbs
Common Everyday Usage Patterns
Description of Past Habits
Background Information
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
Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense
Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
Conditional
Si Clauses
Narration
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb embarbouiller. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!