Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embêter

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embêter

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of embêter. 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 “embêter” is “to bother” or “to annoy.” The infinitive form of “embêter” is pronounced as ahn-bay-tay.

The word “embêter” comes from the old French word “enbêter,” which means “to make someone’s life difficult.” It originated from the words “en” (in) and “bête” (beast or animal). In everyday French, “embêter” is commonly used in the imparfait tense, which indicates an ongoing or habitual action in the past.

Examples of “embêter” in the imparfait tense:

  1. Quand j’étais enfant, mes frères m’embêtaient tout le temps.
    (When I was a child, my brothers used to bother me all the time.)

  2. Le voisin du dessus nous embêtait avec sa musique forte chaque soir.
    (The upstairs neighbor used to annoy us with his loud music every evening.)

  3. Elle nous embêtait en posant toujours les mêmes questions.
    (She used to bother us by always asking the same questions.)

English translations:

  1. When I was a child, my brothers used to bother me all the time.
  2. The upstairs neighbor used to annoy us with his loud music every evening.
  3. She used to bother us by always asking the same questions.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of embêter

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je embêtais J’embêtais mon frère. I was bothering my brother.
tu embêtais Tu embêtais les animaux. You were bothering the animals.
il embêtait Il embêtait sa sœur. He was bothering his sister.
elle embêtait Elle embêtait son ami. She was bothering her friend.
on embêtait On embêtait les voisins. We were bothering the neighbors.
nous embêtions Nous embêtions nos professeurs. We were bothering our teachers.
vous embêtiez Vous embêtiez vos parents. You were bothering your parents.
ils embêtaient Ils embêtaient leur cousin. They were bothering their cousin.
elles embêtaient Elles embêtaient leurs amis. They were bothering their friends.

Other Conjugations for Embêter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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